Toss & Conditions

The Eden Gardens pitch looked flat and had little grass on the eve of the match, with “runs and more runs” expected. The preview adds that it has been a while since competitive cricket was played at the venue because of the state elections.

Head-to-Head

GT have won the last three meetings against KKR. In the most recent clash, GT won by five wickets with two balls remaining after chasing down KKR’s total. The game turned on a tight finish where GT completed the chase with deliveries to spare. Across these three matches, the pattern has been one-way: GT are 3-0.

GTGujarat Titans 181/5

KKKolkata Knight Riders 180/10

2026-04-17 · GT won by 5 wickets (with 2 balls remaining)

KKKolkata Knight Riders 159/8

GTGujarat Titans 198/3

2025-04-21 · GT won by 39 runs

KKKolkata Knight Riders 179/7

GTGujarat Titans 180/3

2023-04-29 · GT won by 7 wickets (with 13 balls remaining)

Kolkata Knight Riders

KKR are 8th in the IPL regular season with 9 points and a 4W-6L record, currently outside the playoff zone. Their last three results include two wins followed by a close six-wicket defeat to RCB. That RCB loss came after KKR had chased successfully in their previous two matches.

KKKolkata Knight Riders 192/4

RCRoyal Challengers Bengaluru 194/4

2026-05-13 · RCB won by 6 wickets (with 5 balls remaining)

KKKolkata Knight Riders 147/2

DCDelhi Capitals 142/8

2026-05-08 · KKR won by 8 wickets (with 34 balls remaining)

KKKolkata Knight Riders 169/3

SRSunrisers Hyderabad 165/10

2026-05-03 · KKR won by 7 wickets (with 10 balls remaining)

Gujarat Titans

GT are 2nd in the IPL regular season with 16 points and an 8W-4L record, currently in the playoff zone. They come in on a three-match winning run, including an 82-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in their most recent game. Their last two wins before that were also by big margins: 77 runs against Rajasthan Royals and a four-wicket chase against Punjab Kings with one ball remaining.

GTGujarat Titans 168/5

SRSunrisers Hyderabad 86/10

2026-05-12 · GT won by 82 runs

GTGujarat Titans 229/4

RRRajasthan Royals 152/10

2026-05-09 · GT won by 77 runs

GTGujarat Titans 167/6

PBPunjab Kings 163/9

2026-05-03 · GT won by 4 wickets (with 1 ball remaining)

Playing XI

News & Facts

Key Stats

Verdict

All four models favour GT, with the average probability at GT 66% (range 58–71%). Bookmakers agree, pricing GT at 58% (1.67) vs KKR at 42% (2.23). Key stats lean GT 5-2 overall, driven by their edge in points, NRR, Elo, and a 3-0 record in the last three head-to-heads. The call hinges on whether KKR can disrupt GT’s momentum and whether GT’s powerplay wicket-taking continues.

Allen’s 35-ball storm

Finn Allen didn’t just set the tone — he detonated it, turning the powerplay into a launchpad and never letting Gujarat Titans settle. Even with GT matching KKR’s 56/1 in the first six, Allen’s clean striking ensured Kolkata kept accelerating through the innings, and the pressure of a 240-plus target never really lifted. When the chase finally broke in the last quarter, KKR had already built too much runway, sealing a 29-run win.

Middle overs blow the roof

The match was effectively won in KKR’s middle overs, where they went from brisk to brutal. After 56/1 in the powerplay, Kolkata hammered 136/1 through the middle phase at 13.4 an over, with the Raghuvanshi–Cameron Green stand worth 108 and keeping boundaries flowing without risk. That surge meant even a strong GT platform couldn’t keep pace; Gujarat’s middle overs were fast (121/0 at 12.1) but still left them chasing a rising rate.

Allen, Gill, Narine decide it

Allen was the difference-maker, turning a good start into a match-defining total with 93 at a strike rate over 260. Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s 83 provided the innings’ spine, ensuring the assault didn’t come with a collapse tax. For GT, Shubman Gill’s 85 and the 125-run stand with Jos Buttler kept the chase credible deep into the innings, but Sunil Narine’s 2/29 applied the late squeeze that forced GT into lower-percentage hitting when they could least afford it.

GT’s momentum finally stalls

Pre-match numbers leaned GT: better recent streak, head-to-head, and a bowling profile expected to control key phases. But on a night when KKR’s top order barely offered chances, those edges didn’t get a foothold. The chase also showed the other side of high totals: one quiet patch can be fatal. GT were cruising at 15 overs, but the 16th over became a hinge as the required rate spiked and the finish suddenly demanded perfection.