Gill, Rashid star as table-toppers GT crush KKR

Table-toppers Gujarat Titans underscored why they have been the dominant force of the IPL 2025 season so far with an all-round show that trumped Kolkata Knight Riders by 39 runs on their own turf. Gujarat's firing top-order got into the act once again with Shubman Gill top-scoring with 90 while his opening partner Sai Sudharsan got to another fifty. Adding a layer of cream was Jos Buttler's cameo that powered them to a total of 198. In the defense, Gujarat's spin-attack strangled KKR's middle-order with the pacers also providing timely strikes offering no respite. Their dominant performance gave them their sixth win in eight games in IPL 2025.

What was the difference?

Soon after the powerplay and until the 15th over, Gujarat scored at over 10 an over while KKR could muster only a run-rate of 7.6. Gill and Sudharsan provided the perfect acceleration for Gujarat after identical scores in the powerplay, albeit with KKR losing two more wickets in comparison. While Gill brought out the slog-sweeps to counter KKR's strong spin-attack, the home team was left searching for answers against Gujarat's equally skilful spin attack. Having dug themselves into a hole, it proved too deep for them to sping back up from. Gujarat's well-executed plans doubly ensured that they stayed grounded.

GUJARAT TITANS

PowerPlay - Gujarat make a cautious start

Phase Score - 45/0 (RR: 7.5 ; 4s/6s: 6/0)

Both Gill and Sudharsan were largely untroubled but they remained watchful despite Gujarat not losing any wickets. They registered Gujarat's second-lowest Powerplay score of the season, getting only 45. A slightly slow surface meant that KKR used three overs of spin - two from Moeen Ali and one from Varun Chakravarthy. Only two boundaries were possible in these three overs with the pacers copping more of the punishment. Harshit Rana was sliced and cut for back-to-back boundaries as Gill caught up with Sudharsan, who had been the early mover in the period. However, it didn't take Gill long to get ahead.

Middle overs - Gill, Sudharsan take control

Phase Score - 94/1 (RR: 10.4 ; 4s/6s: 12 /1)

Gill raced to a 34-ball fifty, ploughing boundaries against the spinners. It started off with a sequence of 6,4, 4 against Moeen Ali with delectable sweeps sandwiching a late cut. Sudharsan too picked the right balls to go after, getting to his fifty in just 33 balls - his eighth in the last 12 innings in the IPL. Their 114-run opening stand was a study in old-school thoughts of assessing before exploding. It provided the Titans with a great foundation after being put in to bat, and underlined their strength of having a fully firing top-order. In 26 innings together, the duo had now put on 50-plus stands half the number of times. That rosy period for Gujarat Titans came to an end in the 13th over when Andre Russell got some extra bounce that produced an edge with Sudharsan attempting to cut. The other member of the Titans' in-form top-order, Jos Buttler wasted no time in reversing the pressure. He struck three boundaries off Russell in the same over to race away to a quick start. Continuing in the same tempo, Buttler offered a chance which was spilled by Vaibhav Arora, but the Englishman nevertheless ensured that Gujarat's momentum did not dip.

Death overs - Gujarat finish with 198 despite a stutter

Phase Score - 47/2 (RR: 9.4 ; 4s/6s: 4/4)

Gill provided the initial momentum scoring his last 29 runs in just 12 balls. Touching 90, he finally fell to a full toss in the same over after carting Vaibhav Arora for a four and a six. Rahul Tewatia too was done in by a slower one from Rana soon after. This threatened to give KKR a sniff back in the game in the end overs but they tripped up in the final over. Arora missed his yorkers and was hit for two fours and a six in an 18-run final over that pushed Gujarat close to 200 with Buttler unbeaten on 41.

KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS

PowerPlay - KKR kept on a leash

Phase Score - 45/2 (RR: 7.5; 4s/6s: 6/1)

Rahmanullah Gurbaz, replacing Quinton de Kock, failed to offset KKR's opening woes this season as he was trapped LBW by an incoming delivery from Mohammed Siraj in the very first over of the chase. Ajinkya Rahane tried to offset that with some neat boundaries clearing the infield in the PowerPlay while Sunil Narine's three boundaries were more sporadic. The latter, however, was done in with the first over of spin bowled by Rashid Khan. He pulled a delivery that skidded on straight into the hands of backward square leg giving Gujarat the bragging rights inside the PowerPlay.

Middle overs - Gujarat's spinners get a chokehold

Phase Score - 69/2 (RR: 7.66 ; 4s/6s: 3/2)

Unlike Gujarat, who managed to accelerate at this stage, both Rahane and Venkatesh Iyer were tied up with both Prasidh Krishna and Rashid being on the money. Iyer also survived an LBW on review against the Afghan spinner as no boundaries came for 34 balls on the trot. Rahane finally broke that streak with a loft over cover off Washington Sundar and then slog-swept him for a six in the same over. His partner, Iyer, had a torrid time creeping to 14 off 18 before sweeping Sai Kishore to deep midwicket. The partnership that lasted 36 balls yielded only 41 runs and left KKR with a steep uphill task of needing 13.5 an over for the rest of the innings. Rahane got to a 36-ball fifty soon after but was dismissed when Sundar threw one wide seeing him step down to have him stumped. Rinku Singh and Andre Russell were entrusted with the task of dragging KKR up. While the latter was able to muscle a six and a four early, they too found the going tough against some accurate bowling according to well-set fields.

Death overs - Chained KKR fail to break free

Phase Score - 45/4 (RR: 9.0; 4s/6s: 5/2)

Russell, KKR's biggest bet in this situation, was trumped by Rashid who had him stumped in the 16th over. Prasidh further tightened the screws in the following over getting both Ramandeep Singh as well as Moeen Ali in the space of three balls, effectively ending any chance of miraculous comeback. With figures of 2-25, Krishna was instrumental in combining with the spinners to keep KKR in control. Rinku Singh's laboured innings saw him get his first boundary only off the tenth ball he faced. But despite conceding 15 in that over, Rashid too finished with exceptional figures of 2-25. Impact sub Angkrish Raghuvanshi's cameo of 27 was too little too late as KKR limped to 159 and stayed put at seventh place with their number of losses now equalling their four wins.

Brief Scores: Gujarat Titans 198/3 (Shubman Gill 90, Sai Sudharsan 52, Jos Buttler 41*) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 159/8 (Ajinkya Rahane 50; Rashid Khan 2-25, Prasidh Krishna 2-25) by 39 runs

What next?

KKR have a four-day gap before they take on Punjab Kings at home on April 26 while Gujarat Titans have an even longer gap of six days before they go to face Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur on April 28.