Gill’s 90 and Sudharsan’s 52 anchor GT’s 198/3 as Rashid and Prasidh shine with the ball to hand defending champions Kolkata their fifth loss of IPL 2025.
📍Kolkata | April 21, 2025
Gujarat Titans (GT) continued their dominant IPL 2025 campaign with a clinical 39-run victory over defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the iconic Eden Gardens on Monday. The win was built on a towering batting display led by Shubman Gill (90 off 56) and Sai Sudharsan (52 off 37), followed by a disciplined bowling effort spearheaded by Rashid Khan and Prasidh Krishna, both returning 2/25.
🏏 Titans Dominate with the Bat
Opting to bat first, GT’s top order flourished from the get-go. Gill and Sudharsan crafted a 114-run opening partnership, anchoring the innings with patience and flair. After a steady start, the duo exploded in the middle overs:
- Gill brought up his third fifty of the season with classical strokeplay, mixing aggression with elegance.
- Sudharsan, in red-hot form this season, notched up his fifth half-century.
Though Andre Russell ended the partnership with Sudharsan’s wicket, Jos Buttler (41* off 21) finished strong with a flurry of boundaries. Gill narrowly missed out on a century, falling for 90 in the 18th over. GT posted 198/3, with Shahrukh Khan (11)* adding crucial late runs.
🧹 Kolkata’s Title Defense in Tatters
Chasing 199, KKR’s top order faltered early, losing Rahmanullah Gurbaz for just 1. Skipper Ajinkya Rahane waged a lone battle, scoring a valiant 50 off 36 balls, but lacked meaningful support from the middle order.
- Venkatesh Iyer struggled to get going, managing only 14 off 19 balls.
- Post Rahane’s dismissal, KKR’s batting collapsed, with Russell (21), Moeen Ali (0), and Ramandeep Singh (1) falling cheaply.
A late cameo from Angkrish Raghuvanshi (27 off 13)* added respectability, but KKR were restricted to 159/8 in 20 overs.
🎯 Bowlers Seal It for Gujarat
GT’s bowlers executed their plans with precision:
- Prasidh Krishna and Rashid Khan both finished with impressive figures of 2/25.
- Mohammed Siraj, Ishant Sharma, Sai Kishore, and Washington Sundar chipped in with a wicket each, keeping pressure on KKR throughout the chase.
📊 Points Table Impact
- With this win, Gujarat Titans climb to the top, registering six wins in eight matches (12 points).
- KKR, with three wins and five losses, slump to seventh place, and their title defense now hangs by a thread.
📝 Brief Scores:
GT: 198/3 (Shubman Gill 90, Sai Sudharsan 52, Jos Buttler 41*)
KKR: 159/8 (Ajinkya Rahane 50, Angkrish Raghuvanshi 27*; Prasidh Krishna 2/25, Rashid Khan 2/25)
Result: Gujarat Titans won by 39 runs
📌 Tags:
Gujarat Titans, Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2025, Shubman Gill, Ajinkya Rahane, Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler, Prasidh Krishna, Rashid Khan, Eden Gardens, KKR vs GT, IPL match report
