Facing NoSuchMethodError and NoClassDefFoundError after Spring boot upgrade from 2.4.x to 2.5.x

Question

Error logged while running gradle clean build:

java.lang.Exception: Unexpected exception, expected<org.springframework.web.client.HttpClientErrorException> but was<java.lang.NoSuchMethodError>
at org.junit.internal.runners.statements.ExpectException.evaluate(ExpectException.java:30)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.statements.RunBeforeTestMethodCallbacks.evaluate(RunBeforeTestMethodCallbacks.java:75)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.statements.RunAfterTestMethodCallbacks.evaluate(RunAfterTestMethodCallbacks.java:86)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.statements.SpringRepeat.evaluate(SpringRepeat.java:84)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.runLeaf(ParentRunner.java:366)

Caused by: java.lang.NoSuchMethodError: kotlin.collections.MapsKt.createMapBuilder()Ljava/util/Map; at kotlin.reflect.jvm.internal.impl.descriptors.Visibilities.(Visibilities.kt:56) at kotlin.reflect.jvm.internal.impl.descriptors.Visibility.compareTo(Visibility.kt:23) at kotlin.reflect.jvm.internal.impl.descriptors.DescriptorVisibility.compareTo(DescriptorVisibility.kt:66)

build.gradle

buildscript {
    ext.kotlin_version = '1.6.21' // Required for Kotlin integration  
    ext.spring_boot_version = '2.6.6'
    repositories {
        mavenCentral()
    }
    dependencies {
        classpath "org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-gradle-plugin:$kotlin_version" // Required for Kotlin integration
        classpath "org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-allopen:$kotlin_version" // See https://kotlinlang.org/docs/reference/compiler-plugins.html#kotlin-spring-compiler-plugin
        classpath "org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-gradle-plugin:$spring_boot_version"
    }
}

apply plugin: 'idea'
apply plugin: 'org.springframework.boot'
apply plugin: 'io.spring.dependency-management'
apply plugin: 'kotlin' // Required for Kotlin integration
apply plugin: "kotlin-spring" // See https://kotlinlang.org/docs/reference/compiler-plugins.html#kotlin-spring-compiler-plugin
apply plugin: "jacoco"

repositories {
    mavenCentral()
}

dependencies {
    implementation "org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-stdlib:${kotlin_version}" // Required for Kotlin integration
    implementation "org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-reflect:${kotlin_version}"
   // implementation 'org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-parent:2.6.7'
    implementation "org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-web"
    implementation "org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator"
    implementation "org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-jdbc"    
    testImplementation "org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-test"
    testImplementation 'com.github.tomakehurst:wiremock-standalone:2.27.2'
    testImplementation 'info.cukes:cucumber-spring:1.2.6'
    testImplementation 'info.cukes:cucumber-junit:1.2.6'   
    implementation 'com.google.code.gson:gson:2.9.0'
    // end::tests[]
}