Finn Allen’s explosive 93 and Sunil Narine’s crucial double strike helped Kolkata Knight Riders crush Gujarat Titans by 29 runs to keep their IPL 2026 playoff hopes alive.
Kolkata Knight Riders kept their IPL 2026 playoff hopes alive with a dominant 29-run victory over Gujarat Titans at the Eden Gardens after explosive batting performances from Finn Allen and Angkrish Raghuvanshi powered them to a massive 247/2.
Kolkata Knight Riders delivered one of their finest batting performances of IPL 2026 to defeat Gujarat Titans by 29 runs in Match 60 at the Eden Gardens on Friday. Powered by a brutal assault from Finn Allen and a composed unbeaten knock from Angkrish Raghuvanshi, KKR posted a mammoth 247/2 before restricting GT to 218/3 in reply.
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After being put into bat, KKR started aggressively despite losing captain Ajinkya Rahane early for 14. Finn Allen completely changed the momentum with a sensational innings of 93 off just 35 balls, smashing four boundaries and ten sixes at a strike rate of 265.71. Allen attacked every Gujarat bowler and took the game away during the powerplay and middle overs.
Raghuvanshi then continued the destruction with a classy unbeaten 82 off 44 deliveries. Cameron Green added further misery for GT bowlers with a quickfire 52 not out from 28 balls. The duo stitched together an unbeaten stand after Allen’s dismissal to push Kolkata close to the 250-run mark. Gujarat’s bowling unit struggled badly, with Rashid Khan conceding 57 runs in four overs while Mohammed Siraj and Sai Kishore picked up one wicket each.
Chasing 248, Gujarat Titans lost Sai Sudharsan temporarily after he retired hurt on 42 during the third over. However, Shubman Gill kept GT alive with a superb 85 off 49 balls while Jos Buttler contributed 57 from 35 deliveries. The pair added momentum through the middle overs and kept the required rate under some control.
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Sunil Narine once again stepped up for KKR with the ball, dismissing Nishant Sindhu and later removing Gill at a crucial stage. Saurabh Dubey also chipped in with Buttler’s wicket late in the innings to shut the door on Gujarat’s comeback hopes. Sudharsan returned later to complete his half-century and remained unbeaten on 52, but the target proved far too steep.
GT And KKR Qualification Scenarios
The victory significantly boosts Kolkata Knight Riders’ slim playoff chances. KKR now move to 11 points from 12 matches and must still win their remaining two league games against Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals to stay alive in the qualification race. Even then, they may require favourable results from other teams and a strong net run rate push to break into the top four.
For Gujarat Titans, the defeat ends their five-match winning streak but they remain strongly placed in the playoff race with 16 points from 13 matches. GT still have one league game remaining against Chennai Super Kings and a win there would almost certainly confirm their place in the playoffs, while also keeping their hopes alive for a top-two finish.
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