Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
Shubman Gill blamed Gujarat Titans’ poor fielding for their 29-run defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders, saying the team “didn’t deserve to win” after dropping several runs during a high-scoring IPL 2026 match at Eden Gardens on Saturday.GT’s five-match winning streak came to an end despite a spirited chase led by Gill (85), Jos Buttler (57) and Sai Sudharsen (53) unbeaten. Chasing a mammoth 248, Gujarat eventually finished on 218/4 as KKR stayed alive in the decider race.
Reflecting on the defeat, Gill felt that Gujarat actually performed well with the bat but failed badly on the field.“Looking at the wicket, the score was even at 200-210 but we dropped a lot of balls. The pitch was good, strangely it was stopping but I felt we batted well to get to the score we did,” Gill said after the match.GT’s field errors proved very costly as KKR took full advantage of the missed opportunities. Finn Allen was dropped twice before smashing 93 off just 35 balls with 10 sixes, while Angkrish Raghuvanshi and
Cameron Green
They were also given a reprieve before scoring unbeaten fifties.Gill admitted that the Giants failed to maintain the standards they set earlier in the tournament.“No concerns but our play could have been a lot better. We set a certain standard and lost 3 sitters – we didn’t deserve to win that game,” Gill said.
Despite the loss, the Gujarat skipper believes the defeat could serve as a timely wake-up call ahead of the qualifiers.He added: “If we look at it this way, it is better to play a match like this now instead of in the qualifiers.”Earlier in the chase, the GT looked well in control as Gilles led the counterattack in style. The opener smashed five fours and two sixes in his 49-ball 85, while Buttler gradually found his rhythm after a slow start.
Sudharsan, who retired briefly after suffering an elbow knock, later returned to complete his batting half-century.At 177/1 after 16 overs, Gujarat still look capable of chasing down the target before.
Sunil Narine
Produced a crucial run to swing the momentum back in KKR’s favour.KKR had earlier piled on 247/2 after being sent in to bat by Gill. Allen’s explosive knock set the tone before Raghuvanshi scored an unbeaten 82 and Green scored an unbeaten 52 to guide the hosts to their highest score of the season.The defeat left Gujarat Titans second in the IPL 2026 points table with 16 points from 13 matches, while KKR moved closer to the playoff places with a much-needed win.Gill said the Giants will now focus on recovery before returning home for the next game.“I think rest and recover for a few days, then come back to Ahmedabad, see how things go and then plan accordingly (for the next match),” Gill said.