Titans go top of IPL ladder with big win over KKR

Gujarat Titans sit top of the IPL 2025 table after beating Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on Tuesday (AEST), with a captain’s knock by Shubman Gill handing them a 39-run victory.

GT came into the match as slight underdogs across cricket bookmakers, despite sitting on five wins from seven matches.

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Asked to bat first, the quickly piled on just the second century opening stand this season as Sai Sudharsan (52 from 36) and Shubman Gill (90 from 55) made 114 in 12.1 overs.

The in-form Jos Buttler (41* from 23) kept the visitors’ momentum going after Sudharsan fell, motoring through the middle overs with Gill before picking up the pace at the death as GT posted 3/198.

In response, KKR were never really in the chase, falling off the pace early and failing to make up lost ground.

Big-hitting opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz (1 from 4) was bundled out in the first over and was followed by Sunil Narine (17 from 13) later in the powerplay.

While Ajinkya Rahane (50 from 36) anchored Kolkata’s efforts, none of the host’s middle order was able to stick around long enough to get on top of the chase.

Venkatesh Iyer (14 from 19), Rinku Singh (17 from 14) and Andre Russell (21 from 15) all got starts, but when the latter was stumped in the 16th over, hope faded for KKR.

Angkrish Raghuvanshi (27 from 13) had a late flurry to lessen the margin of defeat, yet all the home side could manage was 8/159 from their 20 overs.

After the match, Gill emphasised how pleased he was with his side’s ability to close out the game and secure top spot on the table.

“The talk for us earlier was that these two matches were going to decide where we stand on the table, so very happy with how they went,” he said.

“We were ahead in the game, but it’s important to close the game. Good teams close the game very well.

“In this format it’s very difficult to have a perfect game, like even today [we would have had] maybe 10 more runs if I had stayed there.

“But still you have to find a way to win the game and that’s what we’re really good at.”

Sitting two points clear atop the table, GT are the new favourites to win the 2025 IPL title across cricket betting sites.

The 2022 champions are paying $4.33 to lift the trophy again, ahead of Royal Challengers Bengaluru ($5), Mumbai Indians ($5), Punjab Kings ($6) and Delhi Capitals ($6.50).

KKR’s title odds have gone out to $29 as they now sit seventh on the IPL ladder, four points adrift of the top four.

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