Kolkata Knight Riders End Gujarat Titans' Winning Streak

Good morning! If you're a KKR fan, it's a good time to put on and groove to Bee Gees' Stayin' Alive. The team put an end to GT's five-match winning streak and ensured that they added even more drama to an already exciting playoffs race. Here's Cricbuzz Pulse, your two-minute scan of the IPL-verse.

Last Night in Five Lines

• Finn Allen roared with a 35-ball 93
• Angkrish Raghuvanshi switched gears masterfully to make 82* while Cameron Green blasted 52* off 28
• Titans dropped four catches at crucial junctures and KKR made them pay by amassing 247/2
• GT's top three all dutifully struck fifties again but the team fell short by 29 runs
• In his 200th IPL game, Sunil Narine bowled a PoTM-winning spell of 2-29

Oh, That Happened

Sai Sudharsan copped a painful blow to his left elbow while attempting to pull Kartik Tyagi and retired hurt on 23. Eventually, he returned to bat when Shubman Gill fell in the 17th over and finished unbeaten on 53 off 28.

Meanwhile in the KKR camp, Matheesha Pathirana's long-awaited debut for the franchise did not go to plan. He pulled up short after bowling one delivery in his second over and was walking off the field soon after, with what appeared to be a right hamstring niggle. He was later seen explaining to Andre Russell that he felt a 'pop'.

Pulse Awards

• The clingy-partner award goes to the jerseys with Kolkata's humidity ensuring that they cling on to those they clothe very snugly indeed.
• The wounded-warrior award goes to Varun Chakaravarthy for bravely finishing his four-over spell despite constantly hobbling and wincing in pain. Remember, he came back into this game after being sidelined with knee trouble.
• The superspreader award goes to GT for ensuring that the catchfluenza is going nowhere. Or should we call it the dropfluenza?
• The just-missed-it award goes to Finn Allen as the buffet ran out just before he could help himself to his second IPL century

Talking Point

Finn Allen might've played a couple of breathtaking knocks since returning to XI but there's no denying that KKR's opening partnership has been abysmal this year. Their openers have collectively made 587 runs at an average of 26.68 - comfortably the least and well below GT's aggregate of 1123 that leads the list. They had a winning opening-duo in Phil Salt and Narine in 2024 and no pair since has managed to emulate a similar level of success.

The Chatter

Shubman Gill said GT "didn't deserve to win" this match. Sunil Narine said that it's a "blessing" to play 200 IPL games and hopes to "play many more," while adding that it's a "long journey and the journey continues". Parthiv Patel said that catching, or the lack thereof, "made a huge difference". Finn Allen said that it was "definitely tricky at the start" and said that he "just wanted to be there for a long time." Ajinkya Rahane said that a captain can't ask for more when "you have Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy in your team".

Stat Snack

200 has been breached on 52 occasions in this edition of the IPL - the joint most in a season along with 2025. Safe to say 2026 will pull away well clear on that front by the end of the season.

Gossip Column

There's panic and alarm in the totally and most definitely real Fielding Coaches Union (FCU) after the number of dropped catches across the tournament simply continues to pile up. There have also been whispers of pay-cuts across the board, further adding to the FCU's frenzy.

Today's Watchlist

We're back to double-header Sunday. First up will be RCB looking to seal the first playoffs spot when they take on a beleaguered Punjab Kings at Dharamsala. Will their five-match losing streak snap or will RCB just add to their woes? Over in Delhi, we've got two more teams battling to keep their campaigns afloat as DC host RR. A loss for DC will mean they won't be Stayin' Alive no more.

Reckless Prediction for Today

At least five balls will be lost in Dharamsala.