🏏IPL 2026: KKR vs GT, 25th Match, Ahmedabad, 17th April 7:30pm IST🏏

🏏IPL 2026: KKR vs GT, 25th Match, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on 17/04/2026 at 7:30PM IST🏏

Gujarat Titans (GT) are set to take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Match No. 25 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 on April 17 at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Gujarat Titans currently sit sixth on the points table with two wins from four matches. After a shaky start with back-to-back losses, they bounced back strongly with consecutive victories, gaining valuable momentum. Riding high on confidence, GT will look to continue their winning run and secure their third victory of the season.

On the other hand, Kolkata Knight Riders find themselves at the bottom of the standings, having lost all four of their matches so far. The three-time champions have struggled to find consistency and are yet to register their first win of the campaign. KKR will be eager to turn things around and open their account on the points table in this crucial encounter.

When: GT vs KKR, IPL 2026, April 17 at 7:30 PM IST

Where: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

What to expect: Clear skies with temperatures soaring through the roof, although a 7:30 PM start ought not to make life overly challenging. The only game at this venue so far saw GT come agonisingly close to overhauling RR's total of 210 and conditions could favour run-scoring again.

Head-to-head: GT lead 3-1 overall. But KKR will take inspiration from their lone win at this very venue in 2023, where Rinku Singh clubbed five sixes in a sensational final-over heist.

Team Watch

Gujarat Titans

Injuries/Unavailabilities: There are no known injuries reported by the GT camp.

Tactics & Matchups: Rashid Khan has dominated Rovman Powell in T20s, dismissing him thrice in 36 deliveries while giving away just 26 runs. GT would do well to backload an over of their ace wrist-spinner to unleash him against Powell. Considering KKR's right-heavy batting lineup, GT also could be tempted into playing one of their left-arm spinners, Manav Suthar or Sai Kishore, particularly in the view of KKR's woes against the CSK spinners earlier this week.

Probable XII: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Manav Suthar/Ashok Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

Kolkata Knight Riders

Injuries/Unavailabilities: KKR have confirmed that Matheesha Pathirana will not feature in this game, with his travel logistics still being worked out.

Tactics & Matchups: Both Rahane (strike-rate of 64.86, one dismissal) and Sunil Narine (two dismissals for a strike-rate of 117.85) have negative numbers against Mohammed Siraj. Pairing them up top may not be the wisest move, with KKR potentially wanting to use Narine as a disruptor in the middle-overs.

Desperate times could force a change or two on KKR's part, potentially bringing Tim Seifert into the equation in place of countryman Finn Allen. As much as the scrutiny continues to mount on Cameron Green, it is unlikely that he is left out of the XI just yet.

Probable XII: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Sunil Narine, Tim Seifert (wk), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Cameron Green, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Varun Chakaravarthy

Will they win today is the question?

In the spotlight: Prasidh Krishna and Rinku Singh

Prasidh Krishna has quietly carved a niche for himself this season with his slow-and-short deliveries to trouble batters. In GT's both wins, those deliveries played a key role, and those lengths work well in the big square boundaries in Ahmedabad. He is also the season's joint-highest wicket-taker and has outbowled both Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada for GT.

Rinku Singh was elevated to KKR vice-captain at the start of the season but that elevation has not translated into runs. In four innings, he has hit just one six, and his strike rate of 120 is far from his best. With KKR's season slipping away, Rinku needs to produce an emphatic innings if the opportunity presents itself. Can he regain his form at the ground where he once hit five straight sixes in the 20th over?

Stats and trivia

• Anukul Roy's left-arm orthodox spin could be a match-up against Buttler. The batter had a strike rate of 92 against left-arm fingerspin from January 1, 2026 to the end of the T20 World Cup. He was also dismissed by left-arm fingerspin four times (out of ten dismissals) in that period.
• Across every era of the IPL, Narine has bowled at an economy below every other spinner in matches he has featured in. Since 2023, in the highest-scoring era in IPL history, his economy of 7.39 is still 0.78 better than the other spinners in the same matches.
• Rashid Khan's economy of 6.9 in IPL 2026 is his best in GT colours. In GT's wins, Rashid's economy has been 7.0. In GT's losses, it goes up to 8.4.

Did you know?

- KKR's seamers have conceded a four or a six roughly once every three balls in IPL 2026

- Jos Buttler's strike-rate in the first ten balls of this season is 165 and he is yet to be dismissed inside his first ten deliveries of an innings. In contrast, his corresponding strike-rate at the recent T20 World Cup was 92.45

- For a minimum of 8 overs bowled, Sunil Narine (6.86) and Rashid Khan (6.87) boast of the best economy rates among spinners in IPL 2026

What they said:

"I'm not necessarily privy to those conversations myself personally from the actual choice perspective. I'd imagine probably most grounds do have a little bit of a choice. We're very lucky enough here to have both black soil and red soil (pitches) and also a combination of both. I'd imagine there would be a certain amount of looking at the opposition that we're coming up against, marrying our strengths up against potentially their weak points and saying 'Okay, what do we have the best opportunity to stack ourselves up against them?' - GT's Glenn Phillipson whether the team opts for a specific surface for a home game

Pitch and conditions

This will be the first game on pitch no. 6 at Narendra Modi Stadium. During the T20 World Cup, it was a superb wicket to bat on with pacers generating extra bounce if they hit the deck hard. There's a bit of swing early but it fades equally quickly. Spinners should not expect much help. Win toss, chase total should be the default.

Quotes

"The IPL is a very tough tournament. It's very hard to stay consistent for a long period of time. We are doing a lot of things well, we are working hard in the training, we are doing as much as possible to prepare ourselves for the games. Obviously, every team is very strong in their own right and we go out there and try our best on each given day and hopefully we bring some results as well.

GT's Glenn Phillips on being consistent in the IPL

"I had shin splints, which were recurring whenever I was trying to restart playing. So I took a break for one year to figure out why it was happening again and again. I had to change my run-up and then worked on myself to become a better bowler. Playing at this level and improving myself is the only thing I have in mind."

Kartik Tyagi on his return from injuries