Yesterday KKR vs GT, IPL 2026 match result: What happened in Kolkata Knight Riders vs Gujarat Titans game?

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KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane praised his batters for dominating a strong bowling unit and stressed the team’s focus on one game at a time. For GT, the loss ended a strong run and left them reflecting on missed chances. The result keeps the playoff race wide open.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) kept their IPL 2026 playoff hopes alive with a commanding 29-run victory over Gujarat Titans (GT) in a high-scoring clash at Eden Gardens on Saturday (May 16). The match produced a staggering 465 runs, featuring six half-centuries, turning the night into a pure batting spectacle.

Explosive start powers KKR to massive total

Gujarat Titans won the toss and elected to bowl first, hoping to exploit any early movement. But KKR’s top order had other plans. Captain Ajinkya Rahane got them off to a steady start with 14 off 14 before Mohammed Siraj dismissed him. However, Finn Allen, the New Zealand opener, lit up the stadium with a remarkable 93 off just 35 balls, smashing 4 fours and 10 sixes.

Angkrish Raghuvanshi (82 not out off 44) and Cameron Green (52 not out off 28) then took over. Their unbroken 108-run third-wicket stand pushed KKR to a mammoth 247/2 in 20 overs. The home crowd was on its feet as the duo dominated a quality GT attack that included Kagiso Rabada, Rashid Khan, and Sai Kishore.

Gujarat Titans fall short despite heroic chase

Chasing 248, GT made a strong start but couldn’t maintain the required momentum. Shubman Gill top-scored with a fighting 85 off 49, while Jos Buttler chipped in with 57. Sai Sudharsan remained not out on 53 off 28, but the visitors kept losing wickets at crucial junctures and finished at 218/4.

Sunil Narine was the difference with the ball, picking up 2 for 29 in his 200th IPL match. His wickets of Gill and Nishant Sindhu broke GT’s rhythm. Dropped catches also hurt the Titans badly, as Gill himself admitted later.

Sunil Narine named Player of the Match

Sunil Narine, who scalped two crucial wickets of Shubman Gill and Nishan Sindhu, walked away with the Player of the Match award. In a heartfelt post-match chat, he said, “I think it comes with hard work. I think the guys have been preparing very well. I think we have been putting in the hard yards, so it's showing. So hopefully we can continue and just continue winning cricket games no matter what the tournament has in store for us."

"I think it's all about planning what is in front of you. I think every game brings a different challenge, so you're just trying to come on top of that challenge. So today was this one, the next game might be differently, but it's all about trying to win the scenarios and win what is in front of you," he added.

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Aachal Maniyar

Aachal Maniyar is a Senior Content Producer at LiveMint, where she covers US sports with a focus on major leagues, marquee events, and athlete-driven stories, while also reporting extensively on cricket and global sports. With over five years of first-hand journalism experience, she combines sharp editorial judgment with real-time sports storytelling across platforms. Her reporting journey spans leading newsrooms including Thomson Reuters, India TV, BTVI, ET NOW, and CNBC TV18, where she has worked across breaking news, live match coverage, feature writing, interviews, video scripting, and anchoring. This multi-platform exposure has shaped her ability to deliver context-rich sports and business journalism tailored for both television and digital audiences. Aachal has conducted and produced exclusive interviews with athletes and public figures such as India cricketer Dhruv Jurel, Indian women’s hockey captain Savita Punia, and industrialist Ratan Tata, along with several emerging and established sports personalities. Her body of work includes in-depth explainers, athlete profiles, emotionally resonant fan narratives, and data-backed match analysis across cricket, Olympic sports, and international competitions. She holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune, and believes in reporting that is grounded in accuracy, clarity, and credibility. Her philosophy is simple: sports journalism should go beyond scores and statistics, capturing the human stories, pressure moments, and decisions that shape the game and the people who play it.

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