IPL 2026: Ravindra Jadeja decodes ‘calculating overs’ tactic in RR’s win over LSG

Sealing their fifth win of the IPL 2026 season, Rajasthan Royals defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 40 runs, with Ravindra Jadeja later explaining the tactical thinking behind his match-shaping knock.

Walking in at 110/6, Jadeja anchored the innings with an unbeaten 43 off 29 balls and shared a crucial late stand with Shubham Dubey to lift RR to 159 on a challenging surface.

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“When I was batting, it wasn’t that easy. LSG have quality fast bowlers, who were bowling with pace and in good areas. 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.”

The momentum shifted in the final over when Jadeja took on Mayank Yadav for 20 runs.

“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. 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.”

Jadeja also adapted cleverly with the ball, using variations to restrict key batters like Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh.

“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. 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.”

RR’s bowlers then delivered a clinical effort, led by Jofra Archer (3/20), as LSG were bowled out for 119 in 18 overs.

Jadeja also emphasised his team-first approach.

“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.

Chasing a smaller target might then have been easier for LSG. In T20 cricket, every surface, condition, and match situation is different, so you have to adapt accordingly. If, on a given day, the team feels that I have a negative match-up against a particular batter, I understand that. It might work, or it might not; that’s part of the game.”

The win lifts Rajasthan Royals to second on the points table, while Lucknow Super Giants slumped to their fourth consecutive defeat.