On a sluggish, tacky surface, Gill showcased finesse and control, peppering his innings with 10 fours and three sixes
Shubman Gill (Pic: iplt20/bcci)
Gujarat Titans, led by skipper Shubman Gill’s elegant 90 off 55 deliveries, outplayed defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders to seal a commanding 39-run victory in their IPL clash at Eden Gardens on Monday.
On a sluggish, tacky surface, Gill showcased finesse and control, peppering his innings with 10 fours and three sixes. His effort was ably supported by Sai Sudharsan, who continued his rich vein of form with a composed 52 off 36 balls, his fifth fifty in six games. Sudharsan also became the first player this season to cross the 400-run mark, reclaiming the Orange Cap in style.
The pair stitched together a formidable 114-run opening stand that laid the groundwork for GT’s total of 198/3 after KKR chose to bowl. Despite the challenging pitch conditions, Gujarat’s batting unit assessed the conditions astutely and constructed a well-paced innings. Jos Buttler chipped in with an unbeaten 41 off 23 balls, applying the finishing touches, although boundaries proved hard to come by in the death overs.
In response, KKR’s chase never gained momentum. Mohammed Siraj struck early, removing Rahmanullah Gurbaz for just 1. Sunil Narine’s brisk 17-run cameo ended at the hands of Rashid Khan, who silenced critics with a masterful spell. Exploiting the sluggish surface, the Afghan leg-spinner finished with figures of 2/25, removing key players including Andre Russell (21 off 15).
Prasidh Krishna mirrored Rashid’s impact, claiming 2/25, including a double blow that sent Ramandeep Singh and Moeen Ali packing in successive deliveries. KKR’s innings spiraled to 119/7 in the 17th over, and despite hopes resting on Russell and Rinku Singh, the escalating required run rate left them with too much to do.
GT’s spinners tightened the screws in the middle overs. Ajinkya Rahane and Venkatesh Iyer failed to find boundaries for six consecutive overs, with R Sai Kishore returning a miserly 1/19 and Washington Sundar chipping in with 1/36, including the key dismissal of Rahane.
With this win, Gujarat Titans solidified their top spot on the points table with 12 points from 8 games, while KKR slumped to their fifth loss in eight matches—raising serious questions about their title defense.
(With PTI inputs)
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