The defending champions secure a third win in a row courtesy of a fourth-wicket partnership worth 87 between Shankar and David Miller, as KKR lose for the fourth time in the last five
Kolkata: Kolkata Knight Riders 179-7, Gujarat Titans 180-3 - Gujarat Titans won by seven wickets
Gujarat Titans continued their impressive title defence by reeling off a third straight victory to go top of the Indian Premier League table.
Opponents Kolkata Knight Riders lost for the fourth time in five games after failing to defend 179 for 7.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (81) led the way before some late fireworks from Andre Russell (34) helped them set a competitive target.
Mohammad Shami was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 33.
Titans were never really in trouble in the chase. Wriddihiman Saha (10) was dismissed in the fifth over but a 50-run stand for the second wicket between Shubman Gill (49) and captain Hardik Pandya (26) allayed any concerns.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz led the KKR charge (DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP via Getty Images)
Nevertheless, 11 deliveries without a boundary left Titans needing 73 from 37 balls for victory.
Miller and Shankar duly pressed the accelerator - the South African crashing Suyash Sharma over the rope off successive balls before his partner hit one over long-on.
Three more maximums followed via Shankar's bat off Varun Chakravarthy - whose figures were dismantled in the 17th over - before an eighth six of the innings, followed by a wide, secure the points with 13 balls still to be bowled.
The victory takes Titans to the top of the IPL table while KKR remain out of the playoff picture, with six defeats in nine games.
Welcome to www.thecricketer.com - the online home of the world’s oldest cricket magazine. Breaking news, interviews, opinion and cricket goodness from every corner of our beautiful sport, from village green to national arena.