KKR vs GT highlights, IPL 2025: Gujarat Titans beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 39 runs

They had too many to get to KKR and in the end they fell short by quite a big margin. It will be interesting too see where they go from here and how they respond to defeat. After the demoralising defeat they had in the previous game, this feels like a thorn in the flesh.

The chase has derailed completely after Kolkata lost Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh and Moeen Ali in a span of five deliveries. 80 needed in 21 balls now. This has been a very disappointing show from the defending champion in front of their home crowd. Angkrish Raghuvanshi has been sent in the middle as Impact Sub, a decision which will be questioned. He is not a number nine batter. 

Prasidh bowls a top over to give just one four and a total of six runs from his third over. This is very tough for KKR to make a U-turn from this position. 

91 off 36, that's the equation KKR are looking at. In Rinku Singh and Andre Russell they have two able and proven match winners. 21 have come off the last two overs and they need three absolutely big 20+ runs overs from here. Prasidh has been brought back into the attack. 

Ajinkya Rahane gets to his well-deserved fifty but could not continue much further as he departs for 50 off 36. Clever Washington drags the line to outside offstumps, beating Rahane, who charged down the track and Buttler did the rest from behind the stumps to stump him out. Rinku Singh and Andre Russell are the two new batters in the middle. 

Struggling Venkatesh Iyer's miserable stay at the middle comes to an end. He falls after scoring 14 off 19 to R. Sai KIshore. He slog sweeps the floated delivery straight to Washington Sundar at deep midwicket. Poor, poor innings from the Madhya Pradesh batter who was brought back by KKR for a whooping 23.75 cr. 

Nothing much has changed since the last update. Just the RRR jumped over 13 after the 10th over but as I write, Rahane starts the 11th over with a boundary. He goes aerial over extra cover to end the boundary drought of 34 deliveries. KKR need counter punch from both ends if they want anything from this game. Iyer played a dot before taking a single as he is yet to get a boundary in his 17-ball stay, yet. Rahane, meanwhile, plays a good-looking slog sweep to get a six over deep mid-wicket. Required rate still near 13. 

With each passing over, things are getting out of reach for the home team, Kolkata. The run rate is a meagre 6.78 while the RRR has shot up to 12.55 after the ninth over. Rahane has slowed down massively and is playing on 29 off 25. Iyer, on the other hand, looked even more uncomfortable. He has played 12 deliveries to score 8 from it. Strategic time out taken. 

The scoring rate has taken a bit hit with the wicket of Sunil Narine. New batter Venkatesh Iyer joined Ajinkya Rahane. Prasidh Krishna leak just five from his second over as Kolkata get to the 50-mark only after seven overs. The required run rate has jumped to 11.61 as it's going out of reach for the home team.  

Mohammed Siraj felt some discomfort in the follow-through as the game saw a halt. Physio is out attending Siraj. He is up and in action and completes his third over, where he leaked 13 runs. GT skipper introduces spin for the first time tonight. Rashid Khan in action and he strikes instantly. He took just three deliveries to pick up a wicket. Narine will rue not making his start count as he mistimes the short ball on leg straight to Rahul Tewatia. KKR loses two, the match is again turning its side.  

Mohammed Siraj has been handed his third over and he is welcomed by Sunil Narine with a boundary. Poor delivery from Siraj, who bowls a full toss that too on leg and Narine lofts it over mid-wicket. SIX! And Narine follows it up with a maximum. A powerful backfoot punch over extra covers, freeing his arms to hit it over the park. This is a nice recovery from Rahane and Narine as they get close to the 50-run mark. 

As skipper Ajinkya Rahane and opener Sunil Narine look to rebuild after an early wicket, they are facing the heat against Mohammed Siraj. As I write, Rahane releases some pressure by slamming Siraj for a boundary to end his second over. KKR will need many more of these to stay in the chase. Prasidh Krishna has been brought into the attack as he replaces Impact Sub Ishant Sharma. Rahane takes the charge against the Purple Cap holder and slapped him straight for a boundary down the ground before using sublime timing to pepper the long-off fence for two boundaries off his over. KKR 29/1 after 4 overs. 

Mohammed Siraj has picked up Gurbaz already. The bowler zipped back into the batter and Gurbaz trying to work the ball on the leg-side missed it completely and was trapped in front of the wicket. It looked plumb, however, Gurbaz sent it upstairs only to find out three reds on the ball-tracking. This is the last thing KKR wanted after they bowling performance they have put in the first innings. Ishant Sharma has brought in as an impact sub and is bowling the second over of the innings. Ajinkya Rahane has walked into the middle and it requires an innings of substance from him.

At the start of the game, the pitch was really slow. Found it difficult in the powerplay. After that, we got the speed of the wicket. Me and Shuby (Gill) had great communication, we tried to make use of the bad ball they gave us and tried to take the game deep. Have been enjoying the company with Shuby. His experience is helping me. When the conditions are difficult, we're making use of the running between the wickets. We just understood the wicket was a little difficult to bat on. We understood that wickets in hand is the main thing. We've given a very good total for our bowlers.

198 is 20-30 runs too many on this wicket. After the abysmal batting performance in the previous game, KKR needed a good bowling performance, which did not come. They have made a change by bringing in Gurbaz whose numbers chasing are not so great. It will be a chase where KKR needs to bat out of their skins. The game is not over yet, but it looks improbable KKR will get these runs. Titans, on the other hand, have read the conditions and surface brilliantly and have batted accordingly If KKR has any chance, one of their top three need to replicate Gill we will be right back with the chase do stay with us.

Rahul Tewatia too has fallen here. He tried to play a big shot early on, and it backfired. This is a massive total from the Titans already. They have lost a bit of momentum in the last few overs, but with that Gill innings and Sudharsan at the top, they have managed to post a very good score.

This is another partnership between Gill and Buttler. Buttler has had his moments, but he is playing very well. As we update, Shubman Gill has fallen here. It was a low full-toss which he tried to whack on the leg-side, and Rinku Singh, fielded at cow-corner, took a very good diving catch. Vaibhav Arora is the guy who gets a breakthrough. Brilliant innings though from Gill, this just might be the innings that might Titans give another two points. Kolkata Knight Riders chasing the total need to match Gill not just in scores but also in terms of tempo.

Harshit Rana bowls a slower one, which Jos Buttler tried to hit over the top, gets beaten by the slower one, and the ball goes high in the air. It should have been a simple catch, however, Vaibhav Arora spilt it, and it goes for a boundary. It has been that sort of day for KKR. And as we update Manish Panday tried to take a good catch and spilt it. It's once again Jos Buttler who tried to whack it through the covers could not get the timing right, and Pandey who ran forwards trying to take the catch, spills it. It feels like Kolkata will have to bat out of their skins to chase these runs.

It is the extra pace that brought the breakthrough for Kolkata. It was a sharp bumper from Russell, which Sudharsan edged to the keeper Gurbaz. Jos Buttler has come into the middle and is looking ultra-aggressive. While he goes after the bowling, Shubman Gill must continue to bat the way he has been batting. If he can anchor through the innings, GT might even can get to 200, which will be a massive total on this surface. Unlike KKR here GT has both good pacers and spinners who can exploit the conditions fully if there is any help.

Both Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharan have gone past 50, while they have started a bit slowly, they have kept accelerating throughout. With as many spinners they have in the team,, it just seems like the attack has become a bit similar and as we update, here comes the change. Rahane has turned to Andre Russell. He tends to have the magical arm of picking wickets from time to time and KKR will be hoping that he gets a ,wicket here. This just might be that game for KKR which might turn their campaign and they start spirling downwards. As we update Russell picks Sudharsan.

This is getting bad to worse for KKR. The start for GT might not look like one of those blistering Travishek ones, but this is as good as them on this wicket. Ajinkya Rahane needs to do something As of now, it just seems like the KKR players are going through the motions, and GT batters are playing the music. While Gill has been batting at a decent tempo it seems like Sudharsan has another gear in him which he can use. The body language of KKR has not just been there. They need a spark here, a wicket will do them a world of good, no matter how it comes.

We are done with the strategic time-out; we might see a lot of spin tonight. However, after winning the toss and opting to bowl first, Rahane would have loved to have a couple of wickets in the bag. As per Titans, they have read the wicket well and are batting accordingly. Shubman Gill, especially on wickets which are on the slower side, just seems to get into that mode where he just cannot get out and starts to churn out runs. We have seen him do something similar many times for India and here he is replicating the same for Titans.

This is a steady start for the Gujarat Titans. While KKR has bowled well, both these two batters have also been up to it. This wicket just seems to be a tad bit on the slower side to start with. In the first six overs, KKR has already used three overs of spin, and it has worked. Both Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan need to assess what a good total on this surface is quickly, and play accordingly it is definitely not one of those high-score wickets here at Eden Gardens anything around 180 might be a very good total for the visitors to defend.

Sudharsan has started well here yet again. Thus far it has been business as usual for him and within no time, both these players have gotten GT off to a start. This is where teams have to be a tad bit more proactive, while it is T20 cricket, and there are certain rhythms to how the format works It is worth against teams like GT to attack the top three more, as once they get out, there is not much substance to the batting. Not that they cannot play a long innings, but they just did not have enough exposure and sample size this season to prove they can.

We are done with the opening. Vaibhav Arora has taken the new ball, and there has not been much swing. It is interesting that while the batting struggled, they have also brought in changes in bowling, bringing in Moeen Ali despite Anrich Nortje bowling well in the previous game. What does that mean is if and only if they would have had to bowl second with another finger spinner in the line-up Rahane would have been hampered with his bowling options because of dew. While it is too early in the game to say it but it just seems like a bit of muddleness in thinking has creeped into KKR.

This is an interesting call from Ajinkya Rahane,especially after what happened in the last game. While conditions-wise it makes sense, however, if GT are going to score about 180-200, that just might make this chase pretty tricky for the Knight Riders.

"What we see here is very, very Eden Gardens-like. We have a look down at this surface and there's a magnificent covering of grass particularly as we move down towards the good length and short of a length. That means that the ball will show really consistent bounce and pace. Remember, we've seen a bit if swing around here at the Eden Gardens, particularly in those first overs of the powerplay. The likes of Vaibhav Arora has been a great exponent and I'm sure we'll see that early on. Normally at Eden Gardens, if you don't see a even covering of grass, you might see a hint of turn. I don't think it'll turn a great deal tonight. It's going to be a challenge for the spinners and it's going to be a high run-scoring game but the ball will swing around. Early wickets is the key for the Kolkata Knight Riders, utilise that swing for as long as possible. The likes of Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora - pitch it up, swing it like you did against SRH. The advantage GT have had is that the top three have batted through that powerplay and taken confidence into the middle-order which has allowed them to be more aggressive than normal. If they are pushed back and they lose early wickets, then it's going to be a completely different challenge for GT and the middle-order."

Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), Jos Buttler(w), Sherfane Rutherford, Rahul Tewatia, Washington Sundar, Shahrukh Khan, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj

Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Moeen Ali, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy

I don't think there'll be any dew. Everyone has been contributing with wickets. (On Rashid Khan) The skill-set that he brings and the energy on the field, any captain would love to have him.

We are going to bowl first. Pitch is on the drier side, we'll get an idea when we bowl. All the players are working hard. It's all about being positive. Not too worried about middle-order. Gurbaz comes in and Moeen Ali comes in as well.

Gujarat Titans' head coach, Ashish Nehra, is heavily influenced by the successful model of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), a team he previously played for. It highlights a parallel between GT's current success with reliable top-order batsmen and CSK's long-standing strategy of prioritizing steady openers. This comparison is particularly noteworthy in a season where CSK's traditional approach is under scrutiny, while GT is finding success with a similar formula.

Despite not appearing intimidating on paper, the Gujarat Titans' (GT) batting lineup has proven highly effective this IPL season. Heading into their match against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens today, two of their top three batsmen rank among the top four run-scorers of the tournament (prior to the MI vs CSK game). While Shubman Gill isn't in the top echelon, his 215 runs in seven innings demonstrate his contribution. A key aspect of their success is that these top three batsmen haven't had to alter their natural playing styles. Impressively, this trio has collectively scored 895 out of the team's total of 1,352 runs so far.

Gujarat Titans' (GT) opening strategy, featuring Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan, led to the demotion of the explosive opener Jos Buttler to the No. 3 position. This change coincided with a slump in Buttler's form after a challenging period as England's white-ball captain. Beyond these top three, GT's batting lineup includes the returning Sherfane Rutherford, who has no significant IPL track record, and a group of versatile, role-specific players (M Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Washington Sundar, and Rashid Khan) without fixed batting slots.

This season, the focus is on their batting lineup, which lacks a reliable middle order, potentially causing an over-reliance on their top order. The opening pair of Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan are not explosive, and placing either at No. 3 could hinder their ability to accelerate in the middle overs. As a result, GT has strategically chosen to open with both Gill and Sudharsan, promoting Sudharsan from his usual No. 3 position.

Sunil Narine, Quinton de Kock(wk), Ajinkya Rahane(c), Venkatesh Iyer, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Anrich Nortje, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy.

Shubman Gill(c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler(wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Arshad Khan, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma/Washington Sundar

Prasidh continued his impactful bowling in the later stages of the innings. Axar Patel, who had stabilized the innings and reached 39, was looking to accelerate in the final overs. However, on the first ball of the 18th over, Prasidh bowled a back-of-length delivery that cut away from the left-handed Axar as he attempted a big shot, resulting in a nick behind. On the very next ball, Prasidh dismissed Vipraj Nigam, who tried to guide the ball past the wicketkeeper Jos Buttler, but Buttler took a diving catch. This double strike by Prasidh significantly hampered Delhi Capitals' chances of reaching a high total.

Prasidh's impactful bowling performance in an IPL match against Delhi Capitals. He demonstrated his bowling versatility by using cutters on a slow pitch in a previous game and then showcasing his ability to swing the ball both ways and bowl effective back-of-length deliveries in this particular match. He strategically dismissed key Delhi Capitals batsmen, KL Rahul with a late-swinging yorker (explaining that it was his only option as length balls were being handled well) and Karun Nair with a quicker, short-of-length delivery that Nair couldn't clear due to smart fielding placement. 

Prasidh's crucial dismissal of KL Rahul in the fifth over when the score was 44. Prasidh bowled a very full delivery that swung away late, appearing to be aimed at leg and middle. Rahul attempted to adjust his shot to hit it towards square leg but was surprised by the late movement, resulting in him being trapped lbw on the backfoot. Rahul, without opting for a DRS review, indicated while walking off that the ball had indeed swung into the stumps. Prasidh later explained that bowling a yorker was his only viable option at that point, as any delivery on length was being easily dealt with by the batsmen.

Prasidh's impressive bowling performances in the current IPL season, showcasing his versatility. Against Mumbai Indians, he effectively used cutters on a slow pitch. In a match against Delhi Capitals on a hot afternoon, he demonstrated his ability to seam the ball both ways, predominantly bowling back of a length. He also bowled a remarkable out-swinging yorker to dismiss KL Rahul. The passage emphasizes Prasidh's impact by stating that Delhi Capitals would have likely scored significantly more runs if not for his crucial wickets of the in-form Rahul and Karun Nair, as well as Axar Patel.

A crucial phase in a run chase where Gujarat was at 101 after the fall of Sudharsan, and the scoring had slowed down. While Jos Buttler had earlier hit three sixes off Vipraj Nigam, it was Rutherford who reignited the chase. He hit a six off Kuldeep Yadav in the 12th over and then followed it up with two consecutive sixes off Mohit Sharma in the 13th over. After a 10-run over against Nigam, Buttler then had his explosive over against Starc. Even though Rutherford was dismissed later, his aggressive hitting was instrumental in turning the momentum of the chase. Notably, Buttler also capitalized on a free hit in the 17th over, hitting a six off Mukesh Kumar.

After some high-scoring overs and the dismissal of Rutherford in the penultimate over, the chasing team needed 10 runs in the final over, to be bowled by Mitchell Starc. Rahul Tewatia, known for his prowess in finishing games, hit the first ball for a six over cow corner and then followed it up with a boundary to fine leg on the next ball, securing victory and a celebratory hug from Jos Buttler.

Jos Buttler's elegant and effective batting style when he remains composed and focuses on timing, suggesting "Smooth as Buttler" as his mantra. It contrasts this with instances where he loses his shape and becomes less effective. The passage then illustrates his brilliance with an example of his aggressive and match-winning performance against Mitchell Starc, where he consistently scored boundaries despite Starc's changes in bowling strategy, ultimately leading to him experiencing cramps.

“Since I joined this team, the coaching staff and players welcomed me so well. I never felt like I had played for another team for five years before. That’s when the family atmosphere formed, and I started enjoying the game a lot more. My performance improved, and I got more opportunities—even with the bat. It’s very important that when you're in a team, you get some responsibility and there's open discussion.”

Matches Won after Toss win at home: 1/1; Batting 2nd: 1/1

Matches Won after Toss loss at home:  6/8; Batting 1st: 3/5; Batting 2nd: 3/3

“Shubman has a very bright future as a leader, not just as a batter but in the way he thinks and understands the game. He comes with a plan. He's very calm, and when you see him on the ground—the way he manages the team, the bowlers, and the overall environment—I think he has all the qualities to be a great leader. He's captaining in such a big league, and I think the pressure here is even more than the World Cup. This is the best opportunity for him as a captain to perform under pressure and take bold decisions.”

The uncertainty surrounding the pitch at Eden Gardens for a Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) match. KKR has experienced both spin-friendly and flat pitches recently, with their spinners performing differently on each. The presence of strong spinners in the Gujarat Titans (GT) squad (Rashid Khan and Sai Kishore) adds a strategic element to KKR's potential pitch preference. If KKR doesn't opt for a spin-friendly wicket, a flat pitch aiding batsmen and pacers is expected.

Weather forecast for a location where a match is expected to take place. The temperature is predicted to reach a high of 37 degrees Celsius during the day, with warm and humid conditions. However, by the time the match begins in the evening, the temperature is expected to drop to 28 degrees Celsius, with clear and breezy conditions and no chance of rain.

"Everyone knows that Shubman (Gill) is a world class batter. When things get difficult, he always makes runs." 

"We played bad cricket as a batting unit.I take this responsibility as a captain as wecouldn't chase this down. But individually, I am sure
all the players, especially batters,will think about their own game and improve in the upcoming matches."

Sunil Narine, Quinton de Kock(wk), Ajinkya Rahane(c), Venkatesh Iyer, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Anrich Nortje, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy.

Shubman Gill(c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler(wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Arshad Khan, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma/Washington Sundar

Hello and welcome to our live blog of Kolkata Knight Riders taking on Gujarat Titans. It is a very important game for Ajinkya Rahane's men, who have bagged themselves an embarrassing defeat in the previous game against Punjab Kings. They need to bounce back against the Titans. We have Sayak Dutta at the ground who will give all the updates and we meanwhile will give our analysis as well.