NEW DELHI: Winless and under mounting pressure, Kolkata Knight Riders made a bold call at the toss. Tim Seifert For Finn Allen when he chose to bat first against Gujarat Titans. Indian Premier League Match at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday.With four defeats to start their IPL 2026 campaign, KKR are desperate to turn things around, and skipper Ajinkya Rahane He clarified that the team is trying to reframe its approach.IPL 2026: GT vs KKR Live Score
Seifert comes in as KKR Shuffle XI.
The biggest talking point before the game was KKR’s change at the top, with Seifert replacing Allen in the playing XI. The move signals a change in strategy as the franchise looks for a spark in their weak batting unit.“Just one change. Finn Allen is replaced by Tim Seifert,” Rahane confirmed at the toss, underscoring the importance of fresh energy in a struggling line-up.KKR have tried a number of combinations in both batting first and chasing scenarios this season, but the results have not been forthcoming. Seifert’s inclusion is seen as an attempt to stabilize the top-order by adding experience and composure.
‘Play cricket without fear’: Rahane’s message
Rahane explained the decision to bat first, stressing freedom and intent as the underlying philosophy.“We just want our batsmen to play with freedom, with freedom. The kind of tournament we’ve played so far, we’ve tried everything. I thought it would be a good way to give the batsmen that freedom and then defend the total,” he said.He also emphasized the importance of a data mindset. “Sometimes you don’t have to rely too much on statistics. It’s about what you feel as a team. We just want to change that.”Backing his players despite the poor run, Rahane added, “It’s about staying confident, supporting each other in tough times. We have good characters. T20 is about pace – winning small moments. Today we just want to play fearless cricket.
GT stuck to the winning formula.
Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill admitted that he would have preferred to bowl first, citing possible dew later in the evening.“Honestly, we would have bowled first. As the weather gets warmer, there might be some dew,” Gayle said, referring to the collapse of the middle order in his previous outing.“It’s about doing the simple things consistently. Don’t overcomplicate it,” he added, confirming that the GT has not been modified for collision.With GT in the top four push and KKR chasing their first win, the stakes could not have been higher as Rahane’s men looked to justify their bold call and new combination.GT vs KKR Playing XI:
- Gujarat Titans: Shibman Gill (C), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (W), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Rahul Tiotia, Rashid Khan, Ashok Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammad Siraj, Parsed Krishna
- Kolkata Knight Riders: Tim Seifert, Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (C), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (W), Ruman Powell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Vibhu Arora, Karthik Tyagi
GT vs KKR Impact Subs:Kolkata Knight Riders: Varun Chakraborty, Finn Allen, Tejaswi Dahiya, Navdeep Saini, Manish PandeyGujarat Titans: Jason Holder, Shah Rukh Khan, Manav Sathar, Kalwant Khajrulia, Anuj Rawat
