Gujarat Titans host Kolkata Knight Riders in the 25th match of IPL 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday, 17 April, with play starting at 7:30 pm local time.
Gujarat started with defeats to Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals before beating Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants, restricting Lucknow to 164/8 and chasing it with ease. Shubman Gill has 165 runs in three matches at an average of 55, and has scored 185 in four games against Kolkata. Jos Buttler has found his rhythm with 60 off 37 and 52 off 27, and Sai Sudharsan is steady at the top. Prasidh Krishna has ten wickets in four matches, Rashid Khan has five at an economy of 6.87, and young pacer Ashok Sharma is regularly touching 150 km/h. Kagiso Rabada has been inconsistent, so Jason Holder could come in.
Kolkata’s lone point came from a washed-out match against Punjab, and they are bottom with a net run rate of -1.383. Angkrish Raghuvanshi leads their scoring with 182 runs, Ajinkya Rahane has 152, and Finn Allen has managed just 81, so Tim Seifert could be an option. Vaibhav Arora has six wickets, though he has been expensive, and the spin trio of Varun Chakaravarthy, Sunil Narine and Anukul Roy remains their strength. Gujarat’s form and balance make them our preview’s pick.
