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Rajasthan Royals were victorious in the match against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium today. It was virtually a knockout match for the Royals to make it to the playoffs of the ongoing IPL 2026 season.
In the hour of need, it was Joffra Archer who created the difference between the two teams. England’s international match against Mumbai Indians was impressive with both bat and ball. He was chosen Player of the Match for his excellent performance.
Don’t think this is my best year – Jofra Archer
During the presentation ceremony, holding the Player of the Match trophy, Jofra Archer, mostly known as a fast bowler, classified himself as an all-rounder. His claims make sense as he scored 32 off 15 against Mumbai Indians today and took 3 wickets for only 17 runs in 4 overs.
“Don’t think this is my best year, I have bowled a little better than this. Every time you get the ball, you just try to bowl in good areas. Some days you don’t get the reward. Glad we got the reward on a day we had to win. Just trying to bowl the ball in good areas (talking about powerplay wickets).”
Jofra Archer said of his individual performance, “If you get a four and it’s a good ball, it’s fine. But you try to bowl the ball in good areas. The coach’s instructions – after the first two matches, I was trying to bowl the slower ball.”
Jofra Archer claims to be an all-rounder
“And he said, I don’t care what you do, I don’t want any more off-pace from you. I’m just listening to the coach. When you go off-pace your chances for error are a little more. Sometimes you have to deal with some of the edges, but often, it’s the safer option. I wasn’t expecting to bat that early.”
“Because of the impact, I can hardly bat. When the coach said to wear pads, I was surprised. I am happy that I have been able to contribute. Well, I classify myself as an all-rounder. Touchwood (fitness-wise) I am very good right now,” he said.
An entertaining match between MI and RR
The MI vs RR match was an exciting, an exciting match. At many junctures of the game, Mumbai Indians were in the race to take over the match. With the help of Jofra Archer’s stormy inning of 32 runs, RR achieved a score of 205 runs at the loss of 8 wickets in 20 overs.
MI suffered a huge blow in the first innings when Rohit Sharma was out for a duck. This was Joffra Archer’s first strike. Later, Naman Dheer and MI captain Hardik Pandya also found no answer against Archer.
Pandya’s wicket was important because he was batting well. Pandya was out after scoring 34 runs in just 15 balls. After Pandya’s departure, the rest of MI’s batting order collapsed rapidly. Against RR’s 205, MI scored 175 for 9 in 20 overs.
Read More: IPL Points Table 2026: Updated Standings, Orange Cap, Purple Cap after MI vs RR Match 69
