Ravindra Jadeja marked his return to IPL Man of the Match honours after a two-year gap, producing a key all-round effort as Rajasthan Royals defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 40 runs. The veteran’s unbeaten batting knock and timely breakthroughs swung the contest at the Ekana Stadium, where RR defended a competitive total despite LSG’s push.
Jadeja’s unbeaten 43 and the turning point
In Lucknow, Jadeja struck at the right moments to lift Rajasthan’s innings, finishing top for his side with 43* off his time at the crease. Just as Lucknow looked to build momentum, he dismantled a crucial partnership between Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran.
The breakthrough came in the 10th over, when Jadeja dismissed Pooran and arrested LSG’s momentum after a 43-run stand. Pooran, who has endured a difficult IPL so far, mis-hit one off Jadeja, and Donovan Ferreira completed an uncomplicated catch at long-on.
- Jadeja delivered RR’s top score with 43 not out.
- He ended the Marsh–Pooran stand of 43 runs.
- Pooran was dismissed in the 10th over and was caught by Donovan Ferreira at long-on.
A celebration with a message
Jadeja’s wicket celebration stood out as much as the impact itself. He was seen putting his left hand inside his pocket, clearly signalling to the batter that he was “in his pocket”.
What Jadeja said after the win
After the match, Jadeja dedicated his match-winning display to his wife, Rivaba, who serves as Gujarat’s Education Minister. Speaking to the broadcasters, he explained that she had encouraged him to turn things around.
Jadeja said: “Feeling good, winning Man of the match. I want to dedicate the award to the education minister of Gujarat [which is his wife]. She said yesterday that I will do well and I did.”
He also outlined his thinking with the bat, stressing the importance of reaching a defendable mark in T20 cricket.
“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.”
Jadeja added that he respects the tactical nature of T20 match-ups, even when a bowler or batter has an edge on a particular day.
“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.”
With his innings unbeaten, Jadeja ensured Rajasthan’s total had enough substance, while he also watched LSG’s pace attack make the most of conditions at Ekana Stadium as the match progressed.
