A light-hearted social media exchange added a dose of humor to an already thrilling ipl 2026 conflicts, such as Ravichandran Ashwin playfully mocked Cheteshwar Pujara for his reaction Vaibhav SuryavanshiExplosive innings of Rajasthan Royals face to face against Mumbai Indians. The moment, which quickly went viral, came amid widespread praise for the young batsman’s fearless approach.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s playful attack on Cheteshwar Pujara made headlines
This joke came to light after former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh Vaibhav hailed from the commentary box, praising the youngster’s fearless strokeplay. Pujara, sitting next to him, was seen smiling but refrained from joining in on the gesture, a moment which did not go unnoticed.
Ashwin, known for his witty presence on social media, reacted to a clip shared online and took a cheeky dig at his former teammate. In a humorous post, he joked that while he too saluted this knock, his “dear friend Pujara did not salute properly”, adding laughing emojis to underline the playful tone. The comment quickly gained popularity among fans, who enjoyed the camaraderie between the experienced Indian cricketers.
“I also salute, but my dear friend Pujara did not salute properly,” Ashwin wrote on X.
Mine too🫡 But, my dear friend Pujara did not salute properly. https://t.co/DGkP00hTvT pic.twitter.com/5bmAujnVJM
– Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) 8 April 2026
Jaiswal-Suryavanshi pair demolished Mumbai Indians
While the off-field banter attracted attention, the real fireworks happened on the pitch. Opening pair of Rajasthan Royals Yashasvi Jaiswal And Vaibhav made a great start in the match which was reduced to 11 overs due to rain. The two made a partnership of 80 runs in just five overs, leaving the Mumbai Indians bowlers searching for answers.
Jaiswal created the atmosphere in the beginning by scoring 22 runs in the opening over. Deepak Chahar. The aggressive intent continued and he faced leading fast bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah And trent bolt. Rajasthan completed his half-century in just 2.4 overs, equaling his franchise record for the fastest half-century in IPL history and marking one of the fastest team half-centuries ever recorded in the league.
Vaibhav’s innings ended after a breathtaking score of 39 runs in just 14 balls, he was finally out. Shardul Thakur. Despite his early departure the damage had already been done. Jaiswal carried the pace with remarkable composure and remained unbeaten on 77 off 32 balls. Their calculated aggression ensured that Rajasthan Royals posted a strong score of 150/3 in their allotted overs.
Chasing a challenging target, Mumbai Indians led… hardik pandyaStruggled to keep pace with the required run rate. Despite a struggling effort, they could only score 123 runs and fell well short of the target. The defeat marked their second consecutive defeat in the ongoing IPL 2026 season, raising early concerns about consistency and execution.
See also: Vaibhav Suryavanshi welcomes Jasprit Bumrah with a brilliant six during RR vs MI clash in IPL 2026
