Kolkata Knight Riders boosted their chances of making it to the IPL 2026 playoffs by defeating Gujarat Titans by 29 runs at Eden Gardens on May 16. Finn Allen and Sunil Narine were the standout performers for KKR in the match. Allen’s explosive 93 off 35 balls laid the foundation for KKR’s strong total, while Narine’s economical spell of 2 for 29 turned the game in their favor during the chase. Shubman Gill and B. Sai Sudharsan impressed for GT with their aggressive half-centuries.

In the batting department, Ajinkya Rahane struggled to get going, scoring 14 runs before being dismissed by Mohammad Siraj. Finn Allen’s blitzkrieg knock of 93 included 10 sixes, while Angkrish Raghuvanshi provided valuable support with an unbeaten 82. Sunil Narine’s tight bowling and crucial wickets of Nishant Sindhu and Shubman Gill further solidified KKR’s position.

For GT, Shubman Gill’s valiant 85 off 49 balls and B. Sai Sudharsan’s quickfire 52 were the highlights. However, despite Jos Buttler’s 57, GT fell short of the target. Jason Holder was the most economical bowler for GT, while Rashid Khan had an off day, conceding 57 runs without picking up a wicket.

Overall, KKR’s dominant performance kept their playoff hopes alive, while GT will need to regroup for their upcoming matches. The match impact scores provided by CricViz highlighted the key contributions of players in the game. The match was played on May 17, 2026.

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