A commanding all-round performance from Ravindra Jadeja and a fiery spell from Jofra Archer powered Rajasthan Royals to a convincing 40-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants in their Indian Premier League clash on Wednesday.

Jadeja played a crucial role in rescuing Rajasthan after an early collapse. Walking in with the score at 32 for 3 following quick strikes from Mohammed Shami and Mohsin Khan, he focused on rebuilding the innings with calm rotation of strike during a challenging middle phase.

Once set, Jadeja accelerated brilliantly in the final overs. He took on Mayank Yadav in the last over, finding gaps with precision and finishing with a powerful six to cap a 20-run over. His unbeaten 43 guided Rajasthan to a competitive 159 for 6, a total that looked unlikely earlier.

Jadeja then made his presence felt with the ball, maintaining control in the middle overs and claiming the key wicket of Nicholas Pooran to derail Lucknow’s chase.

Archer complemented the effort with a sharp and aggressive spell, using pace and bounce to great effect. He removed Aiden Markram early and later cleaned up the lower order, finishing with impressive figures of 3 for 20.

Mitchell Marsh fought a lone battle for Lucknow with a well-crafted 55, but lacked support as wickets fell regularly. Contributions from Nandre Burger and Brijesh Sharma kept the pressure on, as Lucknow were bowled out for 119 in 18 overs.

Earlier, Rajasthan had stumbled early, losing Yashasvi Jaiswal (22), Dhruv Jurel (0), and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in quick succession. Shami’s fiery spell, supported by a sharp catch from Rishabh Pant, reduced them to 32 for 3.

Captain Riyan Parag (20) and Shimron Hetmyer (22) attempted a recovery, but both fell at crucial moments. Jadeja then anchored the innings, finding late support from Donovan Ferreira (20) and Shubham Dubey, who added an unbeaten 19.

A strong finish, including 20 runs in the final over, helped Rajasthan turn a rebuilding effort into a winning total.

For Lucknow, Shami (2/30), Mohsin Khan (2/17), and Prince Yadav (2/29) shared six wickets, but the late surge proved decisive.

Brief Scores:

Rajasthan Royals: 159/6 (20 overs) – Ravindra Jadeja 43; Mohsin Khan 2/17, Mohammed Shami 2/30, Prince Yadav 2/29

Lucknow Super Giants: 119 all out (18 overs) – Mitchell Marsh 55; Jofra Archer 3/20, Nandre Burger 2/27, Brijesh Sharma 2/18

Rajasthan Royals won by 40 runs.
Edited by : Mary Rose Baba