Gujarat Titans' skipper Shubman Gill put in a captain's knock, scoring 86 off 50 balls to fire his team into the top four on the IPL 2026 points table with a five-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday, April 17.
Playing at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Gill got off to a blazing start, scoring 34 off 15 in the powerplay, setting the tone for a controlled chase of 181.
Earlier, KKR posted 180 all out after opting to bat, with Cameron Green finally putting in a statement performance. The Australian all-rounder scored 79 off 55 balls, contributing heavily to KKR reaching a competitive total with only four batters reaching double-digits.
Ajinkya Rahane fell for a duck, while Tim Seifert managed 19 on his first start of the season. Rovman Powell's 27 off 20 balls provided late impetus, but a cluster of wickets in the death overs prevented KKR from pushing past the 180-mark.
ALSO READ | IPL 2026: Shubman Gill Claims Orange Cap With Captain's Knock As Gujarat Titans Climb Into Top Four — Watch
Kagiso Rabada led the bowling charts for GT with 3/29, while Mohammed Siraj returned 2/23 to keep KKR in check.
In response, Gill dictated the chase, taking a measured approach after his aggressive start. He found support in brief cameos from Jos Buttler (25 off 15) and Sai Sudharsan (22 off 16), which kept the required rate under control.
When Gill was dismissed in the 17th over, courtesy a brilliant diving catch from Green, GT needed 23 off the final 18 balls to win. Glenn Phillips' (19 off 16) dismissal in the final over set up a nervy finish, but the Titans got across the line with two balls to spare.
The win places GT in fourth position on the points table while extending KKR's winless start to six games, leaving them rooted to the bottom.
Here's how the IPL 2026 points table stands after the GT vs KKR match:
| Pos | Teams | Played | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR |
| 1 | Punjab Kings (PBKS) | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 1.067 |
| 2 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1.503 |
| 3 | Rajasthan Royals (RR) | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0.889 |
| 4 | Gujarat Titans (GT) | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0.018 |
| 5 | Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0.576 |
| 6 | Delhi Capitals (DC) | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0.322 |
| 7 | Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | -0.804 |
| 8 | Chennai Super Kings (CSK) | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | -0.846 |
| 9 | Mumbai Indians (MI) | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | -1.076 |
| 10 | Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) | 6 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | -1.149 |
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
