IPL 2026: Allen 93, Raghuvanshi 82* power KKR to 29 run win over GT
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Kolkata: Finn Allen’s ferocious 93, Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s career best 82* and Cameron Green’s unbeaten 52 powered Kolkata Knight Riders to a crushing 29 run win over Gujarat Titans at Eden Gardens on Saturday, denting GT’s five match winning run and keeping KKR’s playoff hopes alive.
Put in, KKR raced to 247 for 2 in 20 overs. Allen exploded from the start — surviving two early drops and racing to 93 off 35 balls with four fours and ten sixes — before Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore finally caught him at long on. After Allen’s exit, Raghuvanshi and Green put on an unbroken 108 for the third wicket. Raghuvanshi compiled a career best 82* off 44 deliveries (four fours, seven sixes), while Green finished 52* off 28 balls as KKR capitalised on sloppy GT fielding to post a daunting total.
Chasing 248, Gujarat began brightly. Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill added 42 in the first three overs before Sudharsan retired hurt after taking an elbow blow. He returned later to hit a fighting 53* off 28. Gill was the backbone of the chase, scoring a stroke filled 85 off 49 balls with five fours and seven sixes. Jos Buttler contributed 57 off 35, and the pair rebuilt the innings after early disruption to put GT in pole position at 177 for 1 after 16 overs.
However, a timely spell from Sunil Narine and disciplined death bowling from KKR turned the game. Narine (2 29) removed Nishant Sindhu and then Gill — the latter swept to Anukul Roy at the ropes — swinging momentum back to the hosts. Buttler fell soon after to Saurabh Dubey, and though Sudharsan’s return offered late resistance, Gujarat finished 218 for 4.
The win lifts KKR to sixth in the table, two points behind fourth placed Punjab Kings. Brief scores: Kolkata Knight Riders 247/2 (Finn Allen 93, Angkrish Raghuvanshi 82*; R Sai Kishore 1 38, Mohammed Siraj 1 50) beat Gujarat Titans 218/4 (Shubman Gill 85, Jos Buttler 57; Sunil Narine 2 29, Saurabh Dubey 1 23) by 29 runs.
(Inputs from IANS)