Rajasthan Royals (RR) outclassed Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by 40 runs in the 32nd match of IPL 2026 at the Ekana Cricket Stadium. After being invited to bat first, Rajasthan Royals scored 159/6 in 20 overs.
After losing three quick wickets in the powerplay, Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer tried to build a partnership. However, Rajasthan Royals lost half their side around the halfway mark. Ravindra Jadeja then played a superb knock of 43 runs off 29 balls and stitched important partnerships with Donovan Ferreira and Shubham Dubey. These stands helped Rajasthan cross the 150-run mark. Mohsin Khan (2/17 in 4 overs) was the most successful bowler for LSG, while Mohammed Shami and Prince Yadav took two wickets each.
In the chase, LSG suffered an early setback and lost three wickets in the first three overs. They were struggling at 11/3 after 3 overs. Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran added 43 runs in the next six overs, but both struggled to find boundaries. When Nandre Burger (2/27 in 4 overs) dismissed Mitchell Marsh, Jofra Archer (3/20 in 4 overs) and Brijesh Sharma (2/18 in 3 overs) ripped through the middle and lower order. LSG were all out for 119 with 12 balls remaining and lost the match.
This win helped Rajasthan Royals end their two-match losing streak and climb to second place on the points table. Meanwhile, Lucknow slipped to ninth, level on points with Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, both of whom still have a game in hand.
Jadeja Anchors RR’s Recovery
Rajasthan Royals depended heavily on Ravindra Jadeja to stabilise their innings. He played a crucial unbeaten knock of 43 runs off 29 balls. Jadeja also built a valuable 49-run partnership with Impact Player Shubham Dubey.
Dubey came in during the 16th over, a move that left RR without an extra bowler. Still, the decision worked in their favour as the duo pushed the total to 159. In the end, that score proved far beyond Lucknow’s reach.
Mohsin Khan Removes Sooryavanshi in Key Spell
Young batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had a rare off day. He started confidently with two boundaries but then struggled to score. Left-arm pacer Mohsin Khan applied pressure with tight bowling.
Mohsin used hard lengths and late movement to trouble the batter. After several dot balls, Sooryavanshi tried an aggressive shot but mistimed it. Digvesh Rathi ran back from extra cover and completed a fine catch. Rajasthan quickly slipped from 32 without loss to 32 for 3 in just four overs.
Before that, Mohammed Shami had already struck twice. He dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal after forcing a glove off a short ball, which Rishabh Pant caught. Shami then removed Dhruv Jurel for a golden duck with a perfect outswinger.
Mayank Yadav Returns but Lacks Impact
Mayank Yadav returned to action after nearly a year out due to a stress fracture. He showed impressive pace, crossing 140 kph multiple times in his opening over.
However, he could not make much impact. Shimron Hetmyer hit one of his deliveries, clocked at 150 kph, for a six over deep square leg. Hetmyer and Riyan Parag looked comfortable for a while, but both got out in quick succession.
Parag mistimed a big shot and was caught at long-on, while Hetmyer fell to Prince Yadav’s slower delivery. At that stage, Rajasthan Royals were struggling at 77 for 5 in the 11th over.
Jadeja Finishes Strong with Late Acceleration
Jadeja’s innings was steady rather than flashy. He focused on rebuilding and avoided risky shots through the middle overs. Between overs 12 and 18, RR managed only three boundaries.
However, he shifted gears towards the end. In the final overs, he attacked Mayank Yadav and scored 20 runs in one over. With support from Dubey, Rajasthan added 32 runs in the last two overs to reach 159.
LSG Collapse Early Under Pressure
Lucknow Super Giants faced early trouble in their chase. Jofra Archer struck in his second over with a sharp bouncer that forced Aiden Markram into a mistimed pull shot. The ball went high, and Dhruv Jurel completed the catch.
Nandre Burger also made an impact by dismissing Rishabh Pant, who edged a delivery behind. Earlier, Ayush Badoni had been run out. LSG were in deep trouble at 11 for 3.
Nicholas Pooran tried to rebuild the innings. He handled the short-ball challenge from Archer and played some attractive shots, including a flick and consecutive boundaries. However, Jadeja broke the partnership by having him caught at long-on for 22 runs off 25 balls.
Marsh Fights Alone but Falls Short
Mitchell Marsh stood out amid the collapse. He tried to anchor the innings and accelerate when possible. Even as wickets kept falling, he took advantage of loose deliveries from Ravi Bishnoi and Jadeja.
Marsh brought up a well-made half-century, but the required run rate kept rising above 10. His dismissal in the 16th over, with 55 runs still needed off 27 balls, ended Lucknow’s hopes.
After that, Rajasthan bowlers finished the job comfortably. Brijesh Sharma and Jofra Archer sealed the win in just 18 overs. Archer picked up 3 for 20, while Brijesh delivered an economical spell of 2 for 18.
LSG were disappointed after losing a low-scoring match by 40 runs. This defeat exposed their batting line-up, as no one except Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran contributed with the bat.
The match did not turn into the high-scoring game many expected, even with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the lineup. Mohsin Khan and Jofra Archer both bowled well, but Rajasthan Royals managed to defend the total and handed Lucknow Super Giants their fourth consecutive loss in IPL 2026. It was also LSG’s third straight defeat at home. Stay tuned with JUSZNEWS for regular updates!