The 32nd match of the IPL 2026 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana International Cricket Stadium in Lucknow was a display of grit over glamour. On Wednesday, Rajasthan Royals (RR) secured a crucial 40-run victory over the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), halting their own slide while extending LSG’s losing streak to four matches. In a low-scoring thriller where every run was earned through sweat and strategy, it was the ‘Sir’ of Indian cricket, Ravindra Jadeja, who stood tallest, proving why he remains the ultimate match-winner in the shortest format.
Ravindra Jadeja dedicates his heroics against LSG to wife Rivaba in a heartfelt gesture
In a heartwarming post-match moment that quickly went viral, Jadeja dedicated his ‘Player of the Match’ award to his wife, Rivaba Jadeja. Addressing her by her official title, he said, “I want to dedicate the award to the Education Minister of Gujarat. She said yesterday that I will do well, and I did.”
Rivaba, who currently serves as the Minister of State for Primary, Secondary, and Adult Education in Gujarat, had an uncanny premonition that her husband would be the catalyst for RR’s comeback.
Jadeja’s performance was nothing short of a rescue act. RR was reeling at 77/5 after Shimron Hetmyer departed in the 11th over. Jadeja’s unbeaten 43 off 29 balls (2 fours, 1 six) provided the spine the innings lacked. His unbeaten 49-run partnership with impact player Shubham Dubey, who smashed 19 off 11, pushed RR to a competitive 159/6. During the chase, Jadeja’s tactical brilliance came to the fore as he dismissed the dangerous Nicholas Pooran for 22, breaking a threatening stand with Mitchell Marsh and effectively ending LSG’s hopes of a comeback.
RR clinch an emphatic victory against LSG in a tense low-score encounter
The scorecard tells a story of a difficult, seaming deck where batting was a chore. RR’s innings started in disaster as Mohammed Shami (2/30) and Mohsin Khan (2/17) ripped through the top order, leaving the Royals at 32/3 within the first four overs. Yashasvi Jaiswal (22) and Riyan Parag (20) tried to steady the ship, but it was the veteran Jadeja who read the conditions best, playing a calculated ‘long game’ that saw RR plunder 49 runs in the final four overs.
When LSG began their pursuit of 160, the collapse was even more spectacular. Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger reduced them to 11/3 in just 2.5 overs, dismissing Ayush Badoni, Rishabh Pant, and Aiden Markram for ducks. By the Strategic Timeout at 7.0 overs, LSG were struggling at 40/3, with Marsh (24*) and Pooran (14*) attempting a rebuild.
However, the pressure was relentless. Archer finished with a masterful 3/20, while Brijesh Sharma and Nandre Burger claimed two wickets apiece. Despite a valiant 55 from Marsh, LSG were eventually bundled out for 119 in 18 overs. This comprehensive win moves Rajasthan Royals to second place in the points table, firmly establishing them as title contenders.
Also WATCH: Rishabh Pant plucks a screamer out of thin air to remove Yashasvi Jaiswal in LSG vs RR encounter
