Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 16 (ANI): Finn Allen, Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Cameron Green with the bat and Jattvibeil Narine’s efforts with the ball helped Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) register a 29-run victory over Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 on Saturday.Allen’s 35-ball 93, Raghuvanshi’s unbeaten 44-ball 82 and Green’s unbeaten 28-ball 52, along with Narine’s bowling figures of 2/29 in 4 overs, were the chief architects for KKR’s win over GT.Powered by a ferocious opening blitz from Finn Allen and steady half-centuries from Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Cameron Green, KKR posted a mammoth 247/2 before restricting a resilient Gujarat chase to 218/4, successfully keeping their playoff hopes alive.Chasing a daunting 248-run target, Gujarat Titans began aggressively but were dealt an early setback. Opener Sai Sudharsan looked in sublime touch, racing to 23 off just 13 deliveries before being forced to retire hurt after a sharp delivery from Kartik Tyagi (0/59 in 4 overs) struck him on the elbow in the third over. Despite the blow, GT reached 42/0 after three overs.The situation worsened when Jattvibeil Narine (2/29 in 4 overs) was introduced into the attack in the fifth over. The spinner struck with his very first ball, dismissing Nishant Sindhu for 1, reducing GT to 51/1 at the end of the powerplay.With the required run rate already going past 14 runs in an over, captain Shubman Gill (85 runs off 49 balls) took charge alongside Jos Buttler (57 runs off 35 balls). The pair revived the chase with an aggressive counterattack, highlighted by Gill taking on Narine with two towering sixes in the seventh over.Gill continued his assault in the ninth over, smashing Anukul Roy (0/17 in 1 over) for two sixes and a boundary as GT collected 18 runs in the over to move to 92/1 after nine overs. He reached his half-century in just 33 balls, with Gujarat progressing to 111/1 after 11 overs.The GT captain then launched a fierce attack on Varun Chakaravarthy (0/47 in 4 overs), hammering two sixes and two fours in a 22-run 14th over. Soon after, Buttler brought up his own fifty off 32 deliveries as GT reached 177/1 after 16 overs.Narine returned to provide KKR with a crucial breakthrough, dismissing Gill for a superb 85 off 49 balls, an innings studded with five fours and seven sixes.Sudharsan (53* runs off 28 balls) later returned to the crease and reignited hopes by smashing a six and two boundaries off Tyagi in the 18th over, helping GT cross the 200-run mark at 203/2.However, needing 45 runs from the final two overs, Saurabh Dubey (1/23 in 2.4 overs) and Cameron Green (1/25 in 3 overs) held their nerve for Kolkata Knight Riders. Dubey removed Buttler in the penultimate over, while Green dismissed Rahul Tewatia off the last ball as KKR sealed a 29-run victory, restricting GT to 218/4, with Sai Sudharsan remaining unbeaten on 53 runs off 28 balls.In the bowling, KKR’s Jattvibeil Narine shone with figures of 2/29 in 4 overs, while Green and Dube also impressed with a wicket each.The win lifts Kolkata Knight Riders to seventh place in the IPL 2026 standings with five victories from 12 matches. Meanwhile, the Gujarat Titans remain second on the table, having registered eight wins and five losses in 13 games.Earlier in the match, attacking half-centuries from Finn Allen and Angkrish Raghuvanshi, along with a fifty from Cameron Green, powered KKR to a commanding 247/2.Allen led the charge with a blistering 93 off just 35 balls, while Raghuvanshi provided strong support with a fluent 82 off 44 deliveries.Green then added a late flourish with an unbeaten 52 off 28 balls, powering Kolkata Knight Riders to a mammoth total.Asked to bat first, Ajinkya Rahane and Finn Allen opened the innings for KKR. Mohammed Siraj bowled a disciplined opening over, conceding just five runs, before Kagiso Rabada followed up with another tight spell, giving away only eight runs.However, Finn Allen broke the early restraint in the next over, opening his shoulders to smash back-to-back boundaries off Mohammed Siraj and collecting 12 runs from the third over.He also took on Rabada in the 4th over, smashing him for two massive sixes. Siraj, in the following over, struck, removing KKR skipper for 14, bringing Angkrish Raghuvanshi to the crease.With this wicket, Mohammed Siraj completed 200 wickets in T20 cricket, becoming the 21st Indian bowler and the 11th fast bowler to reach the milestone.After the dismissal of Ajinkya Rahane, Allen and Raghuvanshi built a strong second-wicket partnership, taking on the Gujarat Titans’ attack all around the ground.At the halfway mark, after 10 overs, Kolkata Knight Riders were 116 for 1, with Allen unbeaten on 71 and Raghuvanshi on 27. The duo added 95 runs off 41 balls before Sai Kishore gave GT a much needed break through, removing Allen for 93 off 35 balls, bringing Cameron Green to the crease.93 runs by Allen is the highest individual score for KKR against GT in IPL. The duo of Green and Raghuvanshi then hammered the GT bowlers, taking the home side past 200 runs mark in 17 overs.Raghuvanshi continued his sensational form by bringing up his fifth fifty of the Indian Premier League 2026 season.He now has the second-most 50-plus scores in a single IPL season for Kolkata Knight Riders, joining an elite list led by Gautam Gambhir with six such scores, while he is now level with Robin Uthappa on five.Raghuvanshi took on veteran seamer Siraj in the 19th overs, smashing him for 25 runs.Raghuvanshi has emerged as one of the standout young performers in the IPL 2026 season, recording five 50-plus scores at just 21 years of age.This places him among an elite group of young batters, behind only Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who both have six such scores in a season at the same age. He is also levelled with Devdutt Padikkal, who also had slammed 5 50+ scores in an IPL season at 21.Green and Raghuvanshi smashed 12 runs off the final over to power Kolkata Knight Riders to a commanding 247 for 2 in their innings. (ANI)(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)