NewKerala.com

KKR Opt to Bat First Against GT in Crucial IPL 2026 Clash in Ahmedabad

Kolkata Knight Riders, led by Ajinkya Rahane, won the toss and elected to bat first against the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad. KKR made one change, bringing in Tim Seifert for his season debut to replace Finn Allen, while GT fielded an unchanged side. KKR are desperate for their first victory, sitting at the bottom of the table, whereas GT are in sixth place with two wins. Both captains expressed their strategies, with Rahane wanting his batters to play freely and GT's Shubman Gill admitting he wanted to bowl first due to potential dew.

Key Points: IPL 2026: KKR vs GT Toss, Playing XI, Match Preview

  • KKR win toss and bat first
  • Tim Seifert debuts for KKR
  • GT unchanged from last match
  • KKR seek first win of season
2 min read

IPL 2026: KKR win toss, opt to bat first against GT in Ahmedabad

KKR win toss, choose to bat first against GT. Full playing XIs, captain quotes, and team standings for this crucial IPL 2026 match in Ahmedabad.

"s, and team standings for this crucial IPL 2026 match in Ahmedabad.QUOTE: Looking to bat first, want our batters to bat freely. - Ajinkya Rahane"

Kolkata, April 17

Kolkata Knight Riders have decided to bat first after winning the toss against Gujarat Titans in match 25 of the Indian Premier League 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday.

The Ajinkya Rahane-led KKR side made one change in their playing XI from the last match. Tim Seifert will be playing his first match of the season after having a wonderful run in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. He will replace his compatriot Finn Allen.

Shubman Gill's GT are going unchanged from the last match.

After winning the toss, KKR skipper Rahane said, "Looking to bat first, want our batters to bat freely. We just want to turn it around, so batting first is a good option. If you are doing well, people will take it well; they will criticise. The T20 format is all about momentum. One change, Seifert comes in for Allen."

GT captain Gill said, "We wanted to bowl first, to be honest. There might be some dew around. Our batting collapsed in the middle of the last match. It should have been a comfortable chase otherwise. It's all about doing the simple things right. That's what we talk about in team meetings. We are playing with the same team."

KKR are searching for their first win of the season. They are at the bottom of the points table with four losses in five matches. One match ended without a result. GT, on the other hand, are ranked sixth with two wins in four matches.

Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Shubman Gill(c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler(w), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Ashok Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Tim Seifert, Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi(w), Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi

Kolkata Knight Riders Impact Subs: Varun Chakaravarthy, Finn Allen, Tejasvi Dahiya, Navdeep Saini, Manish Pandey

Gujarat Titans Impact Subs: Jason Holder, Shahrukh Khan, Manav Suthar, Kulwant Khejroliya, Anuj Rawat.

- ANI

Share this article:

Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Excited to see Tim Seifert play! He was brilliant in the T20 World Cup. But dropping Finn Allen? That's a big gamble. Hope this change brings the momentum KKR is talking about. Their position in the points table is worrying.
S
Sarah B
As a neutral fan, this should be a good contest. GT's bowling attack with Rabada, Rashid, and Siraj is scary for a struggling KKR batting line-up. Let's see if Rahane and Narine can give a solid start.
R
Rohit P
Respectfully, I think KKR's team selection has been confusing all season. Too many changes, no settled combination. Just one change today, but the core isn't performing. Need Rinku Singh to fire today!
V
Vikram M
The real battle will be Gill vs his former franchise! Hope he scores a big one. GT's batting looks strong on paper with Buttler, Gill, Sudharsan. They should chase this down if KKR posts anything under 180.
K
Kavya N
Feeling for KKR fans, but this season is looking like a repeat of last year's struggles. Batting first in Ahmedabad can be good if they play smart cricket. At least they are trying something new with Seifert. All the best to both teams! 🤞

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50