In Ahmedabad on Friday, skipper Shubman Gill continued his talent for scoring a truckload of runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium, this time by blasting a calm 86 to lead the Gujarat Titans (GT) to a comfortable five-wicket triumph against a faltering Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

Gill’s outstanding 50-ball performance, which included four sixes and eight fours at a strike rate of 172, not only ensured GT’s supremacy for most of the chase but also left KKR at the bottom of the table, suffering their sixth straight defeat of the year.

Despite KKR’s valiant efforts to prolong the game, Rahul Tewatia and Shahrukh Khan maintained composure throughout several tense situations and were able to finish the chase with two balls remaining, giving GT its hat-trick of wins. Cameron Green would be left lamenting the absence of assistance from his batting team as he ultimately produced a fantastic 79 off 55 balls.

Gill’s pursuit of 181 was flawless from the start, as he unleashed a signature display of high-elbow drives, short-arm jabs, and exquisite flicks. As GT reached 50 in just 4. 2 overs, B Sai Sudharsan (22), who gave Anukul Roy a beating by hitting two stunning sixes, proved to be a competent partner.

Although Sunil Narine broke the 71-run opening stand by dismissing Sudharsan, who top-edged to short fine leg, Jos Buttler entered the game and kept the momentum going with a quick 25 off 15 balls before holing out to the deep on a googly from Varun Chakaravarthy, who got his first wicket of IPL 2026.

Even though Washington Sundar fell to Chakaravarthy, Gill managed to score his half-century off 27 balls and kept striking a barrage of boundaries. Cameron Green ended his stay with a moment of brilliance at deep backward point, just when it seemed he was about to score a century. The game momentarily wavered when Gill was fired as KKR’s bowlers brought it into the last over.

With only five runs remaining in the game, Ramandeep Singh dismissed Glenn Phillips (19) on the first ball, giving KKR a glimmer of optimism. However, Shahrukh, Tewatia, and the impact sub stayed cool and collected to secure the victory for GT.

Brief scores:
Kolkata Knight Riders 180 all out in 20 overs (Cameron Green 79, Rovman Powell 27; Kagiso Rabada 3-29, Mohammed Siraj 2-23)
Gujarat Titans 181/5 in 19.4 overs (Shubman Gill 86, Jos Buttler 25; Varun Chakaravarthy 2-34, Ramandeep Singh 1-5)