Rajasthan Royals beat Lucknow Super Giants by 40 runs in their IPL 2026 fixture at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, thanks to a Player of the Match-winning all-round effort by Ravindra Jadeja.
The veteran all-rounder was the Royals’ top run scorer in the match with an unbeaten 29-ball 43 and also contributed with the ball, finishing with figures of 1/29 as he stifled the LSG batters whilst picking up the all-important wicket of Nicholas Pooran.
Ravindra Jadeja’s knock with the bat, in particular, proved decisive to the result because of its timing.
The 37-year-old walked out with the Royals looking down the barrel at 62/4 and saw Shimron Hetmyer depart just eight balls later.
Unperturbed, Jadeja battled on and put on decisive partnerships, first with Donovan Ferreira and then with Impact Player Shubham Dubey
Under pressure. Jadeja responded by prioritising time at the crease, managing risk through the middle overs before lining up a late assault with Dubey at his side.
“When I was batting, it wasn’t that easy. LSG have quality fast bowlers, who were bowling with pace and in good areas,” Jadeja said after the match. “It was a red-soil surface, so there was bounce, and they were getting the ball to seam. We kept losing wickets and couldn’t build any partnerships.”
“So, Donovan and I spoke about taking the innings deep. But in T20 cricket, you have to keep taking risks here and there to get to a good score. Unfortunately, he got out at the wrong time,” he added.
Never miss an update on Rajasthan Royals - get the latest articles, news, and more by clicking here!
After rebuilding the innings and taking RR to a respectable total, Jadeja targeted the final over and picked out Mayank Yadav for 20 runs.
Anticipating that Mayank Yadav would bowl it, he shaped his innings accordingly and capitalised on the field and pace on offer.
“I was just calculating the overs and was aware that Mayank Yadav might bowl the final over. I just wanted to use his pace, with a short leg-side boundary and mid-off and mid-on both up,” Jadeja noted.
“Three of the deliveries were short, and he played a bluff by bowling one full, but luckily, I was able to score a boundary off that as well. We got those 20 runs, and as a team, you gain confidence when your bowlers have a few extra runs to play with.”
The 20-run final over lifted Rajasthan to 159, a total that proved sufficient on a challenging pitch. The late surge not only altered the scoreboard but also handed the bowlers a cushion to attack.
Jadeja carried his reading of the surface into his bowling spell, opting for reduced pace and variation against power-hitters such as Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran.
“When I was batting against Digvesh Rathi, a few of his deliveries were stopping in the wicket. So, I thought that if I bowled slow on this surface, I might get some purchase as well. I didn’t want to give any pace to either Mitch Marsh or Pooran, because they are big hitters and are known to hit big,” he observed.
“So, I bowled slower, but I also wanted to vary my pace, as I didn’t want to be predictable. If they hit a six or two, all the pressure built earlier gets released, reducing the margin of runs required.”
Backed by Jofra Archer’s inspired spell of 3/20, Rajasthan Royals bowled LSG out for 119 in 18 overs to seal a comprehensive victory.
Jadeja’s innings under pressure, however, was the actual turning point of the contest.
“When I come to the ground, I leave my personal ego in the hotel room. I just think about contributing in whatever way the team wants from me. When it comes to batting, I wanted to take it deep in this game, because if I had gotten out in the 17th or 18th over playing a wrong shot, we wouldn’t have reached 159 and might have fallen 20-25 runs short.”
Jadeja’s measured and match-winning knock also carried added significance as it saw the Royals snap their two-match losing streak this season and return to winning ways.
RR are now second on the IPL 2026 points table and will host Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Saturday for what will be their first home match of the season in Jaipur.
