IPL 2026, KKR face GT challenge at Eden Gardens: Preview
What's the story
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will face Gujarat Titans (GT) in Match No. 60 of IPL 2026 at Eden Gardens on May 16. KKR are currently eighth on the points table with four wins from 11 matches. They have struggled in multiple departments this season. Some injury blows have also impacted them. With just three league matches left, they are in a must-win situation to keep their qualification chances alive. Here we look at the match preview.
Titans's position
GT on a 5-match winning streak
In contrast to KKR, GT are having a stellar season and are second on the table with eight wins from 12 matches. Their fast-bowling department and top-order batters have been instrumental to their success. GT are on a five-match winning streak and will look to continue their momentum in this crucial encounter. A win against KKR could also make them the first team to officially qualify for the IPL 2026 playoffs.
Match details
Pitch report and other details
The pitch at Eden Gardens during IPL 2026 has been slow, aiding both pacers and spinners. Spinners have found good grip and turn, while seamers have enjoyed early lateral movement with variable bounce. The toss-winning skipper is likely to elect batting owing to the expected dew factor. Meanwhile, the match will begin at 7:30pm IST and will be broadcast on JioStar Network channels. It can also be streamed live on the JioHotstar app and website.
H2H
Here's the head-to-head record
In their six IPL meetings so far, Gujarat Titans have won four matches, while Kolkata Knight Riders have managed just one victory, as per ESPNcricinfo. One match ended with no result. The Titans prevailed by five wickets when these two sides met earlier this season. Meanwhile, KKR lost both their home games against GT in the past.
Team line-ups
A look at the probable XIIs
KKR (Probable XII): Ajinkya Rahane (c), Finn Allen, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk), Cameron Green, Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Manish Pandey, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Saurabh Dubey, Kartik Tyagi, Umran Malik. GT (Probable XII): Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Nishant Sindhu, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.
Performers
Here are the key performers
Angkrish Raghuvanshi has been a bright spot for KKR with 340 runs at a strike rate of 139.44. Sunil Narine's 11 wickets this season have come at an economy rate of 6.64. Kagiso Rabada has raced to 21 wickets from 12 games at 20.04 in IPL 2026. Sai Sudharsan was the first batter to complete 500 runs in IPL 2026. His strike rate this season is over 155.
Poll
