KKR vs GT: Who won yesterday's match in IPL 2023?

The Gujarat Titans (GT) beat the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by seven wickets in yesterday’s 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Bowling first after winning the toss, Gujarat did a good job of restricting Kolkata to 179/7 despite Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s scintillating 39-ball 81. In the chase, GT got home in 17.5 overs as Vijay Shankar cracked 51* in only 24 balls.

With the win, Gujarat went to the top of the IPL 2023 points table. They are on 12 points after eight matches.

As Gujarat set out to chase 180, Shubman Gill (49 off 35) was the dominant partner in an opening stand of 41 in 4.1 overs. He took on Harshit Rana in the third over, slapping him for four fours. Wriddhiman Saha fell to Andre Russell for a run-a-ball 10, toe-ending an attempted big hit.

Gill and Hardik Pandya (26 off 20) added exactly 50 for the second wicket before Rana trapped the GT skipper leg-before. Pandya shuffled across and was caught in front of the stumps. Gill then fell to Sunil Narine, one short of a half-century, mistiming a big hit.

Shankar and David Miller (32* off 18) then added an unbroken 87 for the third wicket at a rapid pace to take Gujarat home to a thumping win. Both batters were severe on KKR’s slow bowlers.

Miller slammed Suyash Sharma for consecutive sixes in the 15th over. Shankar took on Varun Chakaravarthy in the 17th over and launched him for three sixes. He reached a 24-ball fifty by whacking Nitish Rana for another maximum as GT crushed KKR.

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Gurbaz’s brilliance lifts KKR to 179/7

Batting first, Kolkata lost N Jagadeesan cheaply again. He was dismissed for 19 off 15 as he walked across his stumps and was trapped leg-before by Mohammad Shami. Gurbaz got into big-hitting mode by slapping Pandya for two sixes in the fourth over.

At the other end, though, the decision to promote Shardul Thakur backfired. The all-rounder was dismissed for a duck, brilliantly caught by Mohit Sharma off Shami’s bowling. The fielder ran back from mid-on and completed a very well-judged catch.

The story of the rest of the innings, for the most part, was Gurbaz attacking at one end and GT striking crucial blows at the other. Gurbaz took on his Afghanistan teammate Rashid Khan in the last over of the powerplay and walloped him for a six and a four. The keeper-batter soon raced to a 27-ball fifty.

Josh Little, however, struck a double blow in the 11th over to reduce KKR to 88/4. Venkatesh Iyer (11) was trapped lbw as he missed his lap shot. Nitish Rana (4) then guided one straight to backward point.

Gurbaz struck a few more impressive big hits before holing out to deep midwicket off Noor Ahmad’s bowling. A much-needed cameo from Russell (34* off 19) ensured Kolkata reached 179.

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KKR vs GT: Who won Player of the Match in yesterday's IPL 2023 match?

Shami impressed again for GT with figures of 3/33. He got the scalps of Jagadeesan, Thakur and Russell. Little’s two wickets in one over set KKR back. Ahmad (2/21) made an impact once more. In the chase, Gill contributed a sublime 49, while Shankar scored a destructive half-century.

For KKR, Gurbaz played an astonishing knock, striking five fours and seven sixes. Russell had a good all-round game. He chipped in with a quick-fire cameo and also claimed the wicket of Saha.

Little was named the Player of the Match for registering figures of 2/25 in four overs.