AI Simulation, KKR vs GT | Gill’s unbeaten masterclass silences Eden Gardens
Shubman Gill played a masterclass at the Eden Gardens, knocking KKR out of the tournament. Rinku Singh's late cameo helped KKR to post a strong total on the board. But Gujarat Titans completed the tense chase with the help of Shubman Gill.
Pitch and Weather
The Eden Gardens pitch is expected to be batter-friendly, as it offers good bounce and pace. Stroke makers will be able to play freely at this venue. Short square boundaries will encourage more stroke play, as the spinners will find some grip in the middle overs. Dew is expected to play a role in the second innings, which will make defending totals difficult. Weather conditions for this game are warm with humid skies.
Toss
Gujarat Titans wins the toss and decides to bowl first, aiming to take advantage of the dew factor.
Lineups
Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane (C), Finn Allen, Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Saurabh Dubey (Impact)
Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (C), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Nishant Sindhu, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna (Impact)
Match Report
Kolkata Knight Riders got off to an aggressive start, as Finn Allen attacked Siraj and Rabada from the very beginning. Allen played a fearless knock which powered KKR to 71/1, while Ajinkya Rahane lost his wicket to Arshad Khan in an attempt to accelerate.
Cameron Green and Angkrish Raghuvanshi controlled the middle overs well. They were rotating strikes and even punishing the loose deliveries against Rashid Khan. Gujarat Titans regained momentum as Rashid Khan dismissed Cameron Green and Rovman Powell in successive overs. But Rinku Singh played an explosive cameo of 39 runs off 18 balls, which helped KKR to score 197/7 in 20 overs.
Gujarat Titans started with Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, who countered the new ball effectively. Sudharsan took the aggressive role while Gill anchored the innings which helped GT to score 63 runs in 6 overs. The turning point arrived when Sunil Narine took the wickets of Sudharsan and Buttler in quick succession, shifting the momentum towards KKR.
Gill continued to anchor the innings, as he got support from Washington Sundar and Rahul Tewatia. GT needed 31 runs off the last 3 overs, when Shubman Gill targeted Vaibhav Arora and Kartik Tyagi. Tewatia gave a finishing touch as Gujarat Titans scored 200/5, winning the game with 2 balls remaining.
Player of the Match
Shubman Gill wins the Player of the Match award for scoring 88 runs off 54 balls, anchoring the team in a difficult chase.