News
KKR’s Playoff Hope Lives On Thanks to Allen and Raghuvanshi Heroics
17 May 2026, 4:48 pm
Six Losses and A Long Road Back
Nobody in IPL 2026 started their campaign in worse shape than Kolkata Knight Riders. Six consecutive defeats had them sitting at the bottom of the points table with their playoff hopes hanging by a thread. The batting lacked rhythm, the bowling was leaking at the wrong times, and the belief that had carried them to the title in 2024 looked completely drained. Saturday night at Eden Gardens changed all of that.
Finn Allen Lights Up The Ground
When KKR won the toss and chose to bat, few expected what came next. Allen launched into Gujarat Titans from the very first over, hitting Kagiso Rabada for consecutive sixes and racing past 30 before the powerplay was done. He was dropped twice, on 14 and 33, and made GT pay dearly for both. His 35-ball 93 featured ten sixes and left Eden Gardens in a state of pure celebration. When he finally fell to R Sai Kishore, KKR were already 139 for 2 with nearly nine overs still to bat.
Raghuvanshi Takes Over And Does Not Let Go
Angkrish Raghuvanshi took the baton and refused to let the momentum slow. The 21-year-old finished unbeaten on 82 off 44 balls, his best-ever IPL knock, sharing an unbroken 108-run stand with Cameron Green, who chipped in with 52 not out off 28. KKR posted 247 for 2, the highest total ever scored against Gujarat Titans.
GT's Chase Falls Just Short
Shubman Gill's 85 and Jos Buttler's 57 gave GT genuine hope at 177 for 1 after 16 overs. But Sunil Narine, in his 200th IPL appearance, dismissed Gill with a perfectly flighted delivery to square leg, and the chase unravelled quickly from there. GT finished on 218 for 4, 29 runs short. KKR are now just two points behind fourth-placed Punjab Kings with three home games remaining.
Explore more...