Kolkata, May 16: Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Gujarat Titans by 29 runs in a high-scoring IPL 2026 match to keep their playoff qualification hopes alive at Eden Gardens on Saturday. Batting first, KKR posted a huge total of 247/2 in 20 overs after brilliant innings from Finn Allen, Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Cameron Green. In reply, Gujarat Titans managed 218/3 and fell short despite strong knocks from Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler.
Kolkata Knight Riders got off to a flying start after captain Ajinkya Rahane scored 14 runs before getting dismissed by Mohammed Siraj. Finn Allen then played a sensational innings of 93 runs off just 35 balls, smashing 10 sixes and four boundaries. Young batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi remained unbeaten on 82 off 44 balls, while Cameron Green added an unbeaten 52 from 28 deliveries to power KKR to a massive total.
Gujarat Titans started the chase aggressively as Shubman Gill scored 85 runs off 49 balls. Sai Sudharsan stayed unbeaten on 53 from just 28 deliveries, while Jos Buttler contributed 57 runs off 35 balls. However, the target proved too big in the end as GT finished at 218/3 in 19.5 overs.
Sunil Narine picked up two wickets for KKR and played an important role in slowing down Gujarat’s chase during the middle overs. KKR bowlers managed to hold their nerve despite the strong hitting from Gujarat Titans batters.
With this important victory, Kolkata Knight Riders kept their IPL 2026 playoff hopes alive and also boosted their net run rate. The win gives KKR two crucial points as the race for the playoffs becomes tighter in the final stage of the tournament.
