04/17/26 01:40:00
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04/17 13:39 CDT Gujarat breaks into the IPL top four with five-wicket win over
winless Kolkata
Gujarat breaks into the IPL top four with five-wicket win over winless Kolkata
AHMEDABAD, India (AP) --- Shubman Gill prevented Kolkata Knight Riders from
their first win in the Indian Premier League and Gujarat Titans broke into the
top four with a five-wicket win on Friday.
Gill's fluent 86 off 50 balls anchored Gujarat's chase to 181-5 with two balls
remaining.
Kolkata's million-dollar signing Cameron Green finally revived his struggling
batting form with a knock of 79 off 55 balls but the Australia allrounder
wasn't supported and Kolkata was bowled out for 180 on the final ball.
Kolkata has lost five of six, and the sixth was a rain out.
Captain Gill and Sai Sudharsan (22) set up Gujarat's third successive win with
a rollicking opening stand of 57 off five overs.
Sudharsan fell to Sunil Narine in the last over of power play but Jos Buttler
(25) smashed two sixes and two fours and kept pushing the scoring rate.
Gill was hardly troubled by pace or spin and completed his half-century in 27
balls. He hit eight boundaries and four sixes and looked good for a century at
home. But with Gujarat needing only 23 off the last three overs, Gill sliced
fast bowler Vaibhav Arora to Green at third man.
Earlier, Kolkata captain Ajinkya Rahane wanted his beleaguered batters to swing
freely after he won the toss. However, Rahane's own intent to show early
aggression didn't work out as he fell to the first ball he faced from Mohammed
Siraj and top-edged a catch to mid-on.
"It's all about being in the moment," Rahane said. "When things are not going
your way you think too many things."
Kagiso Rabada (3-29) helped to reduce Kolkata to 32-3 inside the power play.
Green and Rovman Powell (27) rebuilt the innings in a 55-run stand.
Green took his time to settle down but upped the ante when he completed a
34-ball half-century with four boundaries and three sixes. He shared another
half-century stand with Anukul Roy.
But Kolkata's struggling middle order again disappointed. Five wickets were
lost for 26 runs in the death overs.
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