Ravi Shastri, the cricketer-turned-commentator, slipped up during the toss for the Kolkata Knight Riders vs Gujarat Titans IPL 2026 encounter in Kolkata on Saturday. Gujarat’s captain Shubman Gill won the toss and chose to field first, a decision followed by a light-hearted post-toss exchange that was hosted by Shastri. In the middle of his interaction, the former India captain mistakenly suggested that Gujarat had already booked their place in the IPL 2026 playoffs.
Shastri’s words came in the form of a pointed question—“You’ve got the Q alphabet already stamped against your team, how are you approaching this one?”—but the reality was different. Gujarat Titans currently sit on 16 points after completing 12 matches in IPL 2026, yet they had not qualified for the knockout stage at the time of the toss.
On the field, KKR made sure the pressure stayed on Gujarat. Finn Allen produced a spectacular 93 off 35 balls after surviving two early let-offs, and Kolkata converted Gujarat’s sloppy moments in the field into a massive platform. The result was KKR’s season’s highest score in the competition so far, as they raced to 247 for two in their match in Kolkata on Saturday.
Allen’s innings turned the contest on its head early. The New Zealand opener was dropped on 14 and again on 33, and each reprieve was punished immediately. He struck 10 sixes and four fours in a whirlwind display, with 86 runs arriving via boundaries as he tore through the Gujarat bowling attack with ruthless intent.
When the first act belonged to Allen, the second was shared by Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Cameron Green. Raghuvanshi finished unbeaten on 82, while Green remained not out on 52, and together they ensured the momentum never dipped. Their unbeaten partnership of 108 came off just 53 deliveries for the third wicket, carrying KKR forward in a must-win sort of rhythm.
Gujarat paid the price for more than one mistake. In total, the Titans dropped four catches during the innings, and all three KKR batters who reached half-centuries—Allen, Raghuvanshi, and Green—made those chances count. Raghuvanshi received a reprieve on 52 when Washington Sundar let him live. Green was also dropped on 23, with Arshad Khan failing to hold off Rashid Khan’s bowling.
Asked to bat first after Gill’s toss decision, Gujarat struggled to impose control from the outset. The pitch offered a sticky feel and had remained covered under rain, but KKR’s relentless batting made the conditions irrelevant. Poor catching added to Gujarat’s troubles as the home side continued to pile runs throughout their innings.
Allen set the tone immediately, with KKR moving to 100 within nine overs. The acceleration then continued as they added another 100 in only eight more overs, helped strongly by the Green-Raghuvanshi combination. In a match context that demanded results, their partnership helped KKR reach a total that felt beyond what Gujarat could comfortably chase.
Allen’s powerplay looked especially dangerous after he survived a sharp chance on 14. Jason Holder, positioned in the right place, got a hand to a fast opportunity at cover off Mohammed Siraj, but Allen stayed in. From there, the Kiwi opener began to dismantle the bowling further, launching consecutive sixes off Kagiso Rabada—one clearing mid-off and another flying over midwicket off a delivery clocked at 149 kph. That burst took him to 28 from just 11 balls.
While Allen dominated one end, Ajinkya Rahane’s start never quite found fluency. He made a scratchy 14 off 14 balls before Siraj finally removed him. After Rahane’s departure, there was a brief slowing in the scoring within the powerplay before Allen got another lifeline.
Holder then introduced himself into the action by trying to force a mistake, and he managed to induce a mis-hit. However, Siraj couldn’t complete the catch at long-on, handing Allen another chance. From that point, the innings shifted into full overdrive.
Allen attacked both pace and spin with equal ease, picking up lengths early and clearing the boundary line without hesitation. Rashid Khan also couldn’t find answers, as Allen struck two sixes and a four to move to a 21-ball half-century.
Raghuvanshi played the stabilising role with sharp timing and smart running between the wickets. The young batter used pace intelligently to keep the scoreboard ticking, including a quick scoop over the wicketkeeper off Rabada to get going when the innings needed a steady hand. For a long stretch, Allen looked on course to register a second IPL century of the season, but Rashid finally brought the carnage to an end by taking a well-judged catch at deep midwicket off Sai Kishore.
As the innings entered its closing phase, Green made sure there was no let-up. The Australian all-rounder hit three sixes in the final overs, while Raghuvanshi continued to add value as KKR closed on a towering total of 247 for two.
