IPL: GT cruise past KKR as Gill’s 86 seals third straight win

AHMEDABAD: Shubman Gill’s majestic half-century propelled the Gujarat Titans (GT) to a five-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Friday in Ahmedabad.

Gill shone with an 86 off 50 balls at the Narendra Modi Stadium, continuing his tremendous record in Ahmedabad. The GT captain smashed eight fours and four sixes as his side reached home in 19.4 overs in the chase of 181.

This is now GT’s third straight victory in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), after wins against Delhi Capitals (DC) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). GT now have 6 points from 5 games in the IPL 2026. This propels them two places up the points table, placing them in fourth position.

Skipper Shubman Gill spreads his rizz in Ahmedabad and is adjudged the Player of the Match

WATCH HIS KNOCK https://t.co/m7lkZghYwU#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #GTvKKR | @ShubmanGill pic.twitter.com/LprHC3iaeh

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 17, 2026

KKR is still finding their first win in the IPL 2026, with one point, the three-time champions remain at the bottom of the points table.

Chasing 181, Sai Sudharsan and Gill opened the innings for GT. GT made a steady start, picking up 9 runs off Vaibhav Arora’s opening over. The openers continue the momentum, scoring 11 runs off Kartik Tyagi in the following over,

Gill and Sudharsan opened up their arms, smashing Anukul Roy for 20 runs in the third over. Veteran spinner Sunil Narine pulled things back in the following over with a tidy line, conceding just 5 runs.

𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩

Current orange cap holder Shubman Gill after scoring his 3⃣rd consecutive half-century of the season

Scorecard https://t.co/FACeUzse3B#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #GTvKKR |… pic.twitter.com/s0AksUZn1N

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 17, 2026

GT brought up their 50 in just 4.2 overs. Narine, in the last over of the power-play, broke the opening partnership, removing Sudharsan for 22, bringing Jos Butler to the crease. Butler from the right go took on Narine, smashing him for 2 fours and a six.

GT ended their power-play on 71-1. Gill continued to attack KKR bowlers as he collected 12 runs in the 7th over off Roy. Chakaravarthy, in the 10th over of the innings, removed Butler for 25, ending his handy cameo. This was the 7th time he has got him out of 11 times in T20S.

In the following over, Gill brought his fifty in just 27. However, Gill continued to hold one end as he slammed a six and a four each off Chakaravarthy in the 12th over. Narine bowled a very tight next over, giving just 4 runs to finish his spell on 1/28 in four overs.

Chakaravarthy, in the 15th over, got the better of Sundar for 13, bringing Glenn Phillips to the crease. Chakaravarthy also completed 100 IPL wickets for KKR, becoming only the third player to reach the milestone for the franchise after Sunil Narine and Andre Russell.

In the 17th over after being smashed for a cracking four from Gill, Arora removed the GT skipper for 86 off 50 balls. Glenn Phillips was trying to hit a six and finish the match in the final over but was held at deep mid wicket after playing a decent cameo of 19.

Rahul Tewatia and Shahrukh Khan then sealed the match for GT as the home side won the match in the final over.

Earlier in the match, Cameron Green’s maiden half-century in the IPL 2026 powered KKR to 180 against GT. Green slammed 79 off 55 balls. This marked Green’s second-highest IPL score after 100* (47) for MI vs SRH at Wankhede in 2023.

Tim Seifert and Ajinkya Rahane opened the innings for KKR. Mohammed Siraj was stuck in the very first over, removing KKR skipper Rahane for a golden duck, bringing young Angkrish Raghuvanshi to the crease.

Raghuvanshi started positively smashing two fours but was removed by ace seamer Kagiso Rabada for just 8, and Cameron Green joined Seifert in the middle.

Seifert, playing his first match of IPL 2026, looked good for his 19-run cameo but was sent back to the pavilion by Rabada in his following over, bringing Rovman Powell to the crease.

GT managed to hold back KKR batters in the power-play, restricting them to only 37/3. Powell finally opened up his arms in the 7th over, smashing a massive six off Prasidh Krishna to get his innings going.

Powell, in the following over, took on young Ashok Sharma, hitting him for another big six and a four, taking KKR to 59-3 after 8 overs. Green and Powell kept taking singles and smashed boundaries at regular intervals to power KKR to 80 after 10 overs, after a shaky start.

Ashok Sharma, in the following, removed Powell for 27, ending his handy cameo, bringing Anukul Roy in the middle. Green in the 12th over took on Rashid Khan, smashing him for six and a four and continued his counterattack in the following over as well, slamming Sharma for two big sixes to bring up his maiden half-century this season.

Purple cap holder Krishna in the 15th over, Roy for 9, and Rinku Singh joined Green at the crease for the final five overs. Rinku’s lean patch with the bat continued as he was removed on just 1 by Rabada on the first ball of the 16th over.

Ramandeep Singh joined Green at the crease. Singh started positively smashing a six off his second ball, followed by two back-to-back fours off Sharma in the following over, before getting out on 17.

In the 18th over, Siraj took his second wicket of the match, removing Sunil Narine for a five-ball duck, bringing Kartik Tyagi to the crease. Tyagi also started well, smashing a six off Siraj on the final ball of his spell.

Gujarat Titans pulled things back strongly, bundling out Kolkata Knight Riders for 180 after conceding just 15 runs in the final three overs. Cameron Green was the top scorer for KKR with 79.

With the ball, Kagiso Rabada claimed three wickets, while Sharma and Siraj picked up two wickets each. Prasidh Krishna and Rashid Khan also chipped in with a wicket apiece. (ANI)