Shubman Gill slammed 90 points on only 55 balls to help Gujarat Titans (GT) extend their advance at the top of the IPL 2025 table, when they beat Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 39 points. GT was clearly the best side of the three facets of the match, and have now become the first team to reach 12 points this season. KKR, on the other hand, remains in seventh place, after losing five of their eight games. They are now four points from the playoffs and need a series of victories to qualify.
Gill became the seventh striker to cross 300 points in IPL 2025, but it was the opening partner B Sai Sudharsan who took over the orange cap. He became the first striker to cross 400 points this season, and is now on 417 after his 52. GT also led the Purple Cap classification thanks to the Prasidh Krishna stimulator, who now has 16 counters, four more than anyone. He took two counters against KKR.
Gill’s sleeves, decorated with 10 four and three, as well as the 36-ball 52 of Sai Sudharsan, his fifth fifty games in six, who made him the first player this season to exceed 400 points to recover the orange cap, laid the foundations for GT 198 Total for 3 after KKR opted for the Bowl on an Adepy track.
The total, which was well calculated and strategic by GT, turned out to be more than sufficient because GT’s questions brilliantly led by Rashid Khan and Prasidh Krishna, the identical 2/25 KKR figures restricted to 159 for 8.
It was yet another bottom for the reigning champions after their 95 horror show while continuing 112 in the last match when their striker seemed terribly out of depth and succumbed to their third defeat in four games at home, and fifth in the general classification of eight games.
For GT, this victory marked its sixth victory in eight games, consolidating their position at the top of the IPL ranking with 12 points, two at the shelter of the Capitals of Delhi.
KKR’s prosecution failed early while Mohammed Siraj removed Rahmanullah Gurbaz for 1 in the opening.
The brief cameo of 17 points from Sunil Narine ended with her dismissal by Rashid, who found her mojo after an indifferent start to the season.
The cunning Afghan spinner, which had been examined for its recent performance, delivered a tight spell that operates the return conditions with 2/25, including the prized scalp of André Russell (21; 15b).
Its control and variations on the slow height of Eden reported a return to form. He presented his prowess by conceding only five points in his fate of two in two.
The designer in the shape of a Prasidh sub-form also showed his magic in the back-end while he rejected Ramandeep Singh (1) and Moeen Ali (0) in successive bullets, because he was almost finished for KKR at 119 for 7 in 16.3 Overs.
KKR’s sleeves stagnated in the middle of the Overs, with Rahane and Venkatesh Iyer who find it difficult to accelerate against GT’s spinners in a phase where for 36 balls they failed to obtain a border.
Sai Kishore’s economical 1/19 in three Overs still tightened the screws, leading to Rahane Stumping for 50 from Washington Sundar’s bowling alley (1/36 in three Overs) and from Iyer for 14 to 19 bullets. Demanding 108 points from the last 45 bullets, KKR’s hopes rested on Russell and Rinku Singh. However, the assembly required the execution rate proved insurmountable against GT’s disciplined attack.
Earlier, opting in Bowl, KKR’s quisors faced an early assault while Gill (90 out of 55) and Sudharsan (53 out of 38) forged an opening stand of 114 points.
The coherent form of Sudharsan earned him the Orange cap, becoming the first player this season to exceed 400 points.
Jos Buttler, entering an impulse from an unbeaten preceding 97, was contained at an undefeated of 41 balls out of 23 bullets, unable to find the boundary strings as expected, but GT managed to mark a score by on these difficult conditions.
With PTI entries
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