Kolkata, May 17: In the 60th match of IPL 2026, Gujarat Titans (GT) faced a 29-run defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). GT’s assistant coach Parthiv Patel acknowledged that dropping catches against KKR proved costly for the team.
With this loss, Gujarat Titans’ streak of five consecutive victories came to an end. During a press conference, Parthiv highlighted poor fielding as the main reason for the defeat. He stated, “I believe that catching made a significant difference. When you are playing a high-scoring match against a strong batting lineup, you don’t get many chances. When you do get that opportunity, you must ensure that you catch the balls. I felt that was the biggest difference.”
GT missed three crucial catching opportunities against KKR. Mohammed Siraj dropped Finn Allen’s catch at long-on when he was on 33 runs. The explosive opener capitalized on this mistake, scoring 93 runs off just 35 balls, including 10 sixes. Cameron Green also benefited from a dropped catch by Arshad Khan when he was on 23 runs, with the ball accidentally going for four runs over the boundary. Green finished with an unbeaten 52 runs off 28 balls. Ankit Raghuwanshi took advantage of another dropped catch at 53 runs, as Washington Sundar missed an easy opportunity, allowing the young batsman to score an unbeaten 82 runs.
Batting first, KKR posted a total of 247 runs for the loss of 2 wickets in 20 overs. Parthiv Patel praised Finn Allen for his explosive innings of 93 runs, saying, “Allen played exceptionally well, there’s no doubt about that. We felt it wasn’t an easy pitch. He performed brilliantly against our strong pace attack.” While chasing a target of 248 runs, Gujarat Titans managed to score only 218 runs for the loss of 4 wickets in 20 overs. Despite this defeat, GT remains in contention for the playoffs, holding 16 points from 13 matches.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.