KKR vs GT Live Score, IPL 2026: With 11 matches to go, IPL 2026 may have their first team in the playoffs. A win today and Gujarat Titans seal a Top 4 berth. Their opponents, Kolkata Knight Riders, are in a tough spot. A win today won’t guarantee them anything, apart from keeping their hopes alive and a license to fight. But as has been the case, KKR will look to pull off an upset in their 100th IPL game at the Eden Gardens.
KKR vs GT Match Preview, IPL 2026
After just three wins from the first seven matches, Gujarat Titans have turned things around and they could be the first team to seal an IPL 2026 Playoff spot. GT have won five consecutive matches and are the in-form team.
Washington Sundar steadied a middle order that was their biggest worry in the first half. He has 296 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 152.57, easily his best IPL season with the bat. He’s also hit 121 runs in death overs, striking at 180.59 between overs 17 and 20.
The bowling has been just as good. GT have taken the most powerplay wickets of any team this season with 25, and Kagiso Rabada leads the chart in that phase with 16. Jason Holder has an economy rate of 5.1 at the death. With all the boxes ticked, GT are the team to beat now.
Kolkata Knight Riders have had an inconsistent season. After a winless run of six matches, KKR pulled off four consecutive wins before losing to RCB by a big margin. Now, they are in a desperate situation in playoff race.
They sit eighth with nine points from 11 matches, and the road to the top four now requires winning all three remaining home games and hoping other results break their way. KKR have won just one of three completed home games this season.
Ajinkya Rahane has been the biggest individual disappointment: two ducks, two single-digit scores, and only four innings above 20 in 11 games. For KKR to beat GT tonight, they need Rahane, Finn Allen and Cameron Green to give the innings a base the middle order can work from.
IPL 2026 Playoff Scenarios
Gujarat Titans
Second on 16 points from 12 games. Win tonight and they’re officially in the playoffs. A top-two finish, which would give them a second chance through Qualifier 1, becomes a real possibility. For a Top-2 finish, KKR will need to win both their last games. However, if they lose today, they will still have a shot at qualification.
Kolkata Knight Riders
Eighth with nine points, needing three wins from three remaining games and a specific set of results elsewhere to reach the top four. A loss tonight doesn’t mathematically eliminate them, but they’d be entirely dependent on other results. Lose this, and it’s realistically done. The one thing working for them: all three remaining games are at home. Eden Gardens under lights is not the worst place to make a last stand.
Predicted KKR vs GT Playing XIs
Kolkata Knight Riders
Ajinkya Rahane (c), Finn Allen, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk), Cameron Green, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Kartik Tyagi, Varun CV
Gujarat Titans
Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler, Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
IPL 2026 Playoff Scenarios: Gujarat Titans
16/05/2026 18:22
Second on 16 points from 12 games. Win tonight and they're officially in the playoffs. A top-two finish, which would give them a second chance through Qualifier 1, becomes a real possibility. For a Top-2 finish, KKR will need to win both their last two games. However, if they lose today, they will still have a shot at qualification.
IPL 2026 Points Table before KKR vs GT
16/05/2026 18:14
Kolkata Weather Report
16/05/2026 18:05
Temperatures on Saturday are expected to be in the lower to mid-30s Celsius. There is a chance of rain in the evening, but current forecasts suggest a full game at Eden Gardens is likely. Friday's heavy rain has cleared the air. Conditions will be warm and humid. No washout expected, though the outfield may still be damp early from the previous night.
Eden Gardens Pitch Report, IPL 2026
16/05/2026 17:55
One of the fastest outfields in India, and captains almost always choose to chase here. The pitch on the eve of the match looked flat and grassy, which means true bounce from ball one. A heavy spell of rain hit Kolkata on Friday evening, so there may be some residual moisture early, but the surface should settle into its usual batting-friendly character once the game gets going.
Spinners can grip in the middle overs. Rashid and Washington Sundar have been GT's most effective operators in that phase all season. Narine and Chakravarthy, if he's fit and plays, offer KKR their best chance of keeping GT under a chaseable total. The powerplay is where this game will be shaped. GT bowl it better than almost anyone. KKR have struggled to handle that phase with the bat all season.
KKR vs GT Head to Head
16/05/2026 17:44
GT have dominated this fixture from the start. Four wins from six IPL meetings, KKR with one, one no result. GT also won their earlier meeting this season, so KKR are trying to beat a side they haven't got the better of since 2023.
KKR vs GT Live Updates: Gujarat Titans squad
16/05/2026 17:16
Gujarat Titans
Batters
All-rounders
Bowlers
KKR vs GT Live Updates: Kolkata Knight Riders squad
16/05/2026 17:16
Kolkata Knight Riders
Batters
All-rounders
Bowlers
Cricket
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