Gujarat Titans vs Kolkata Knight Riders highlights

 On April 21, 2025, Gujarat Titans (GT) delivered a commanding 39-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens in the IPL 2025, consolidating their position at the top of the points table. GT’s clinical performance, led by Shubman Gill’s sublime 90 and supported by Sai Sudharsan’s steady 52, set the stage for a dominant display in batting, bowling, and fielding, leaving KKR reeling in their chase.

GT, sent in to bat on a pitch described as “really slow” by both captains, posted a formidable 198/3 in 20 overs. Gill, the GT skipper, anchored the innings with an elegant 90 off 55 balls, including 10 fours and 3 sixes, narrowly missing out on his first hundred of the season. His opening partner, Sai Sudharsan, played a complementary role, scoring 52 off 36 balls with six fours and a six, reclaiming the Orange Cap as the first batter to cross 400 runs in IPL 2025. Their 114 run opening stand laid a solid foundation, blending patience with precise strokeplay to exploit gaps and rotate the strike. Jos Buttler, unbeaten on 41 off 23 balls with eight boundaries, provided the late flourish, though GT hit only five sixes, relying on smart running and boundary-hitting to set a par-plus total. KKR’s bowlers, led by Vaibhav Arora and Sunil Narine, struggled to break through, with fielding lapses adding to their woes.

KKR’s chase began disastrously as Mohammed Siraj dismissed Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the first over. The middle overs saw GT’s spinners, Rashid Khan and Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, tighten the screws, triggering a 36-ball boundary drought. Rashid, returning to form, claimed 2/25, including the prized scalp of Andre Russell, while Prasidh Krishna (2/25) dismissed key batters, stifling any hopes of a late surge. Ajinkya Rahane, KKR’s captain, fought a lone battle with 50 off 36 balls, but his dismissal, followed by Venkatesh Iyer’s sluggish 14 off 19, derailed the chase. Rinku Singh and Angkrish Raghuvanshi offered brief resistance with late boundaries and sixes, but KKR crumbled to 159/8 suffering their third home loss and fifth overall. GT’s fielding brilliance, saving crucial runs, further tilted the game in their favor.

Gill earned the Player of the Match award for his match-defining knock emphasizing the importance of the win in maintaining GT’s momentum. KKR Rahane admitted the target was chaseable but lamented the batting unit’s failure in the middle overs. Sai Kishore highlighted GT’s strategy of bowling slow to counter KKR’s big-hitters like Russell. Posts on X echoed the sentiment, with users praising GT all-round dominance and Prasidh variations as standout features.

This win propelled GT to 12 points, two clear at the top, while KKR’s inconsistent campaign continued, underscoring their need to address batting frailties. GT’s blend of disciplined bowling, sharp fielding, and composed batting made this a textbook T20 performance, setting the tone for their playoff push.