Veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja opened up about not always completing his full quota of four overs after the victory against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Following his all-round performance for Rajasthan Royals, Jadeja said that team needs are more important than personal milestones during the IPL 2026 season.
Rajasthan Royals defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 40 runs at the Ekana Cricket Stadium. The Royals scored 159 runs after losing the toss. Jofra Archer took 3 wickets for 20 runs to bowl out LSH for 119 in 18 overs. The team moved to second place and Jadeja won Player of the Match for his all-round performance.
I Leave My Personal Ego in the Hotel Room – Ravindra Jadeja on Not Completing Full Over Quota
Speaking to JioStar, Ravindra Jadeja was asked about not bowling his full quota in previous matches. The 37-year-old all-rounder said it requires the right mindset to accept difficult matchups against certain batters.
“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,” Jadeja told JioStar.
“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 all-rounder mentioned.
When I Was Batting, It Wasn’t That Easy – Ravindra Jadeja on Challenging Conditions
Ravindra Jadeja rescued the Rajasthan Royals innings with an unbeaten 43 off 29 balls after the team slipped to 110 for six. Jadeja stated that he handled the challenging red-soil pitch and built a key partnership with Donovan Ferreira before accelerating against the fast bowlers.
“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,” Jadeja said.
Aware That Mayank Yadav Might Bowl the Final Over – Ravindra Jadeja
The experienced batter added a 49-run partnership off 25 balls with Shubham Dubey. Jadeja targeted fast bowler Mayank Yadav in the final over. He revealed his approach while scoring 20 crucial runs in that over, which shifted the momentum in favor of Rajasthan Royals.
“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,” he added.
Jadeja executed this defensive bowling plan effectively, finishing with economical figures of 1 for 29 in four overs. He will be next seen in action for the Royals against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Jaipur on Saturday. April 25.
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