Big picture: GT one win away from playoffs spot
How quickly the fortunes change in the IPL. Midway through IPL 2026, Gujarat Titans (GT) looked like a team bereft of options. They had won just three out of seven games, were in the lower half of the table with old issues such as a wobbly middle order and over-dependence on the top-order sprouting again. Cut to after 12 games, GT are second on the points table with a five-game winning streak and, with just one more win, will become the first team to make it to the playoffs.
Their opponents, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), are also on the ascendancy in the second half, but their first half was so disastrous that their playoff chances now hang by a thread. KKR failed to register a win in their first six games, with their solitary point coming via a washout against Punjab Kings. That left them in near must-win territory for the rest of the season. To their credit, KKR responded with four straight wins, but a six-wicket defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru has thrown a spanner in their works.
A loss against GT will not mathematically rule them out of playoff contention but they will then have to depend on other results going their way. KKR have three games remaining, all at home after being on the road for close to a month. Whether that’s a good thing or not, only time will tell. KKR have managed only one win in three completed games at home this season, though it was their win over Rajasthan Royals at Eden Gardens that kickstarted their run of four straight victories.
GT, meanwhile, have an excellent away record this season of four wins from six games. Their 99-run thrashing of Mumbai Indians seems like a story from another season. Headlined by a fearsome bowling attack and all the main batting components coming together, another win will take GT to the top, and possibly a top-two position come the final four. Can KKR stop them and keep their see-sawing season alive?
Kolkata Knight Riders: LWWWW (Last five completed games, most recent first)
Gujarat Titans: WWWWW
Team news – Is Varun available for KKR?
Head coach Abhishek Nayar had confirmed a “small hairline” on Varun Chakravarthy’s toe during KKR’s last game against RCB. While he trained and bowled in the nets on Friday, his availability will be known only on Saturday. If he doesn’t recover in time, KKR could go with the same side as the RCB game. Matheesha Pathirana is fit and ready to go, but KKR haven’t given him a chance yet. Will they play him in place of Rovman Powell? Meanwhile, Rachin Ravindra, who did not feature in any of the KKR games, has left the IPL to focus on New Zealand’s upcoming Test tour of England.
Kolkata Knight Riders (probable): 1 Finn Allen, 2 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 3 Angkrish Raghuvanshi, 4 Cameron Green, 5 Rinku Singh, 6 Manish Pandey, 7 Rovman Powell, 8 Sunil Narine, 9 Anukul Roy, 10 Kartik Tyagi, 11 Vaibhav Arora, 12 Saurabh Dubey
GT went with Prasidh Krishna as the Impact Player in their previous game against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Depending on conditions, they could retain him or bring in Sai Kishore into the side.
Gujarat Titans (probable): 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 B Sai Sudharsan, 3 Jos Buttler (wk), 4 Washington Sundar, 5 Jason Holder, 6 Nishant Sindhu, 7 Rahul Tewatia, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Arshad Khan, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Mohammed Siraj, 12 Prasidh Krishna/R Sai Kishore
In the spotlight – Ajinkya Rahane and Washington Sundar
Ajinkya Rahane started this IPL with 67 against MI but his season has since nosedived dramatically. In 11 games, Rahane has two ducks, two single-digit scores and has crossed 20 just four times. KKR have managed a 50-plus powerplay score just six times this season (joint-fewest) and Rahane’s strike rate in that phase is jut 131.19. He will also have to contend with Mohammed Siraj, against whom he doesn’t have a great record in the IPL: two dismissals and 19 runs in eight innings with a strike rate of just 57.57. With just three games left, KKR will hope for their captain to get back among the runs.
Washington Sundar has been a major driving force behind GT’s season revival, steadying their middle order, which had teething issues. With 296 runs in 12 innings, this is comfortably Washington’s best IPL season in terms of runs, with his strike rate of 152.57 also standing out. Another area where Washington has excelled this season is his death-overs hitting. He has the fourth-most runs from overs 17 to 20 this season (121), striking at 180.59.
Pitch and conditions – Runs, runs and runs
While it’s been a while since any competitive cricket was played at Eden Gardens because of the state elections, runs and more runs are likely to be the theme on Saturday. The pitch on the eve of the contest looked flat from a distance and bereft of any grass. The temperature in Kolkata is expected to hover around the lower to mid-30s on the Celcius scale
“The powerplay has been a bit challenging for us this year, but we’re always looking to take wickets early so that it becomes easier for the spinners coming in to bowl in the middle overs. Sending Shubman [Gill] and Sai Sudarshan back to the pavilion in the powerplay will be a huge advantage for us.”
Fast bowler Kartik Tyagi on KKR’s bowling plans
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