Mistakes with the gloves cost Gujarat too much. Shubman Gill, wearing the captain’s cap, pointed at shaky catching as the core issue. A loss by 29 runs stung, especially against the Kolkata Knight Riders. Missed chances piled up, he said plainly. Victory felt out of reach because of it. His verdict came straight; his boys simply did not earn the trophy that night.

GT dropped four catches through a messy performance, giving Finn Allen extra lives at key moments. He turned into a blistering 93. That fierce innings lifted KKR to a towering 247 for two, a total Gujarat chased hard but fell short of, despite fighting back with sharp intent. Their defeat snapped a run of five straight wins in the competition.

Shubman Gill rues missed chances as Finn Allen punishes GT

“Looking at the wicket, 200-210 was the par score, but we dropped too many catches. The pitch was good, the odd ball was stopping, but I felt we batted well to get to the score we did,” Gill said after the match.
“We set a certain standard, and dropping three sitters - we didn’t deserve to win this one. Looking at it that way, it’s better to have a game like this now than in the Qualifiers.”

Finn Allen made sure nothing went to waste, launching ten sixes alongside four crisp boundaries in a sharp knock. Following up, Angkrish Raghuvanshi kept the pressure high; his 82 came fast from only 44 balls, packed with seven towering sixes and as many fours.

Then came Cameron Green, slipping in 52 runs before even twenty-eight throws had passed. Start to finish, KKR’s captain saw clear confidence in every batter. Not just patience but sharp aggression too. Each one trusted their method without hesitation.

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From the first ball, fearlessness shaped the play. Every run is built on belief already there. Rahane noticed it all, no step back once taken. What stood out was how they held that edge. Even when quiet moments came, tension stayed low. Batsmen moved like parts of one machine. Intent never faded, not even between overs. The way they carried themselves said everything.

“Really happy with the two points. The way we started with the bat despite losing the toss was amazing. Great to see Finn Allen play that knock. The preparation has been fantastic, and the talk has always been about taking it one game at a time,” Rahane said.

“Overall, it was a fantastic effort from the bowling unit as well. It’s all about trusting ability and carrying confidence from domestic cricket into the IPL.”
What stood out was Rahane speaking highly of Saurabh Dubey’s recent play. Though hurting, Varun Chakaravarthy made his way back, something Rahane noted with respect, given the lingering ache from a small fracture in his toe.

Two hundred games in, Sunil Narine bowled through the lineup for 2/29 - earning him Player of the match on the field. While others struggled under pressure, he stayed sharp throughout the innings.

“It comes with hard work. The guys have been training really well and putting in the hard yards, and it’s showing,” Narine said.
“Every game brings a different challenge. It’s about trying to win key moments and not overthinking. God has given me the talent and health to play 200 IPL matches, and hopefully I can play many more.”

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