Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) produced a batting masterclass at Eden Gardens to beat Gujarat Titans (GT) 60 with 29 runs in the match Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Riding explosive strikes Finn Allen, Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Cameron GreenKKR amassed an impressive total of 247/2 as their bowlers held their nerve to restrict GT to 218/4 in a run-fest on Thursday.
Finn Allen leads KKR’s batting brilliance
After being asked to bat first by the Gujarat Titans captain Shubman GillKKR took full advantage of the batting-friendly conditions and entertained the home crowd with boundaries and powerful sixes. Despite losing the captain Ajinkya Rahane At the start of the 14th over, the innings quickly turned into a nightmare for the GT bowlers as Allen moved into a brutal attack.
New Zealand hit four fours and 10 sixes for 93 runs off just 35 balls during his breathtaking stay at the batter’s crease. Allen attacked both pace and spin with equal authority and shifted the momentum completely in KKR’s favor during the power play.
Raghuvanshi then took the momentum forward with a mature yet aggressive knock of 82 off 44 deliveries. The young batter mixed innovation with clean hitting, smashing seven sixes and four boundaries and putting together a great partnership with Allen. Their counter-attack forced Gujarat Titans to look for answers in the middle innings.
Green added the finishing touches with an unbeaten 52 off just 28 balls. The Australian made good use of his all-round ability and cleared the ropes four times to ensure KKR comfortably passed the 240-run mark. The hosts eventually finished with 247/2 in their allotted 20 overs.
Among the Gujarat bowlers, Muhammad Siraj and Sai Kishore managed to take a wicket apiece but the rest of the attack struggled badly under pressure. Rashid Khan He endured a rare off day conceding 57 runs in four overs Kagiso Rabada and Jason Holder also went scoreless.
Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler tough go fight in vain
Chasing a mammoth target of 248, Gujarat Titans needed to fly and got a start. Sai Sudharsan and Gill. Sudharsan was in sublime touch, hitting six boundaries and three sixes on 53 off 28 balls. Sunil Narine broke the dangerous stand.
Gill continued to anchor the chase brilliantly and kept GT in the hunt with a classy knock of 85 off 49 deliveries. The GT skipper combined his power with timing and hit seven sixes during the strike. Jos Buttler also joined the party with a smooth 57-35 as the visitors easily crossed 200.
However, the pace required continued to rise and KKR managed to strike at crucial intervals. Narine emerged as a standout for the hosts, claiming two crucial wickets conceding just 29 runs in four overs. Green and Saurabh Dubey He went in with a wicket apiece to prevent Gujarat from gaining complete control. Despite resistance from Gill and Buttler, Gujarat Titans eventually finished at 218/4 in 20 overs, 29 runs short of the target.
The win gave Kolkata Knight Riders a crucial boost in the IPL 2026 points table and showcased the fearsome potential of the batting line-up ahead of the tournament’s business end. Allen’s explosive knocks, backed by Raghuvanshi’s composure and Green’s finishing touch, saw KKR walk away with a memorable win in front of their home fans at the Eden Gardens.
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Here’s how the fans reacted:
Peace at home, faith in the heart 💜 pic.twitter.com/r4XhouLuZr
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 16, 2026
Sunil Narine is not only a contender for the greatest foreign player in IPL history, he is also the greatest player in IPL history! It is consistently unreal even on flat pitches.
— Sports Betting (@SportyStats4U) May 16, 2026
– 37(17) Vs MI.
– 28(7) Vs SRH.
– 29(13) Vs SRH.
– 100*(47) Vs DC.
– 93(35) Vs GT.FINN ALLEN HAS BEEN BRILLIANT FOR KKR THIS IPL – KKR’S FUTURE. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/tJpNG3WNws
— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) May 16, 2026
HATS OFF, FIND ALLEN. 🫡
– 93 (35) with 4 fours and 10 glorious sixes. He was an absolute beast, unlucky to miss out on a decent hundred. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zP3SYSz5ad
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 16, 2026
Peace at home, faith in the heart 💜 pic.twitter.com/r4XhouLuZr
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 16, 2026
APPLAUSE FOR FINN ALLEN.🙌
– Finn Allen conceded 93 off just 35 balls with a strike rate of 266. pic.twitter.com/0h4CePZJm5
— Maina Singh (@Maina_Singhx77) May 16, 2026
An important win for KKR as they are still alive #IPL2026#KKRvsGT pic.twitter.com/mxnfNieWQG
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) May 16, 2026
KKR GOAT – SUNIL NARINE 🐐 pic.twitter.com/U5JLKRxba5
– Jones. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 16, 2026
AS A FIN ALLEN T20 BATTER
– He is the most dangerous T20 batsman in the world
– He is the most destructive T20 batsman in the world
– When he sings, he goes crazy and can tear you apart
– He can easily go over 200 every day of the week
– He can clear any border in the world… pic.twitter.com/FxPbnftpDZ— Akshat (@Akshatgoel1408) May 16, 2026
Finn Allen is a monster, he’s the kind of striker who doesn’t score every day, but on the day he does, he’s going to be a carnage and he’s going to single-handedly change the course of the game.
These guys are made for T20 cricket and T20 cricket has changed. 🦁 pic.twitter.com/Dd0uVEtXY0
– Vishal. (@SPORTYVISHAL) May 16, 2026
There were many mystery bowlers, many good bowlers who played IPL but after a few years or continued for a few more years always ended their careers on a low note, but there will be only one bowler who will remain legendary till the last IPL game with his illustrious career…
— Prasanna (@prasannalara) May 16, 2026
• 200 matches (all for one franchise💜)
• 203 doors 🎯
• 1820 runs💥
• First foreign player to play 200 games
• 3-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) award winner🏆
• Career economy rate: A ridiculous 6.79
• Only player with a century AND 5 wickets🤯Sunil Narine’s… pic.twitter.com/KonktX8AQV
— ANUJ (@Hello_anuj) May 16, 2026
– Pollard retired
– Bravo became a coach
– Russell disappearedBut Sunil Narine is still the same. The man is still walking away from games for KKR. pic.twitter.com/L3PDGuG9IY
— Selfless⁴⁵ (@SelflessCricket) May 16, 2026
🚨 Shubman Gill has fun with Sunil Narine during a drinks break. ❤️🔥 pic.twitter.com/GqjjnIp16M
— Ahmed says (@AhmedGT_) May 16, 2026
Incredible from Gujarat, they sent injured Sai Sudarshan and not Jason Holder with 20 RRR? #KKRvsGT
— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) May 16, 2026
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