Veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja talked about not always being able to complete his full quota of four overs after the win against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). After his all-round performance for Rajasthan Royals, Jadeja said that the needs of the team are more important than individual achievements during the IPL 2026 season.
Rajasthan Royals defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 40 runs at Ekana Cricket Stadium. Royals batted first after losing the toss and scored 159 runs. Jofra Archer took 3 wickets for 20 runs and bowled out LSH for 119 runs in 18 overs. The team reached second place and Jadeja received the Player of the Match award for his all-round performance.
I leave my personal ego in the hotel room – Ravindra Jadeja on not completing full overs quota
Speaking to JioStar, Ravindra Jadeja was asked about not bowling his full quota in the previous matches. The 37-year-old all-rounder said that accepting tough matchups against certain batsmen requires the right mindset.
“When I come on the field, I leave my personal ego in the hotel room. I just think about contributing in the way that the team wants from me. When it comes to batting, I wanted to take it deep into this game, because if I had got out in the 17th or 18th over playing the wrong shot, we would not have been able to reach 159 and would have been 20-25 runs behind,” Jadeja told Geostar.
“Chasing small targets can be easy for LSG. In T20 cricket, every surface, situation and match situation is different, so you have to adapt accordingly. If, on a given day, the team feels I have a negative match-up against a particular batsman, I understand that. It may work, or it may not; it is part of the game,” the all-rounder said.
It was not so easy when I was batting – Ravindra Jadeja on challenging conditions
After the team reached 110 runs for six wickets, Ravindra Jadeja saved the innings of Rajasthan Royals by scoring unbeaten 43 runs in 29 balls. Jadeja said he handled the challenging red clay pitch and formed a crucial partnership with Donovan Ferreira before accelerating against the fast bowlers.
“When I was batting, it was not so easy. LSG had quality fast bowlers, who were bowling with pace and in good areas. It was a red clay surface, so there was bounce, and they were seaming the ball.”
“We kept losing wickets and couldn’t build any partnerships. So, Donovan and I talked about taking the innings deeper. But in T20 cricket, you have to keep taking risks here and there to reach good scores. Unfortunately, he got out at the wrong time,” Jadeja said.
Know that Mayank Yadav can bowl the last over – Ravindra Jadeja
The experienced batsman made a partnership of 49 runs in 25 balls with Shubham Dubey. In the last over, Jadeja targeted fast bowler Mayank Yadav. He revealed his approach while scoring 20 crucial runs in that over which shifted the momentum in favor of Rajasthan Royals.
“I was just counting the overs and knew Mayank Yadav could bowl the last over. I just wanted to use his pace, with a short leg-side boundary and both mid-off and mid-on.”
“Three balls were short and he cheated by bowling a full ball, but fortunately, I managed to hit a four on that too. We got those 20 runs and as a team, when your bowlers have some extra runs to play, you get confidence,” he said.
Jadeja executed this defensive bowling plan effectively and took one wicket for 29 runs in four overs. He will be seen in action for the Royals against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Jaipur on Saturday. 25 April.
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