Jadeja's tactical masterclass powers RR to 40-run win over LSG in IPL 2026

Jadeja's unbeaten 43 off 29 balls came when RR were struggling at 110/6, and his late charge with Shubham Dubey raised the visitors' total to 159, a score that was more than sufficient on a difficult pitch.

Jadeja reflected that the pitch and LSG's pace attack made early strokeplay challenging, considering the conditions and his batting approach.

"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 told JioStar.

"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's late acceleration, particularly the 20-run final over off Mayank Yadav, shifted momentum decisively in RR's favour, giving their bowlers a cushion to attack. The all-rounder also shed light on his bowling strategy, which played a role in choking LSG's middle order, including the key wicket of Nicholas Pooran.

"When I was batting against Digvesh Rathi, a few of his deliveries were stopping in the wicket. So, I thought that if I bowled slow on this surface, I might get some purchase as well. I didn't want to give any pace to either Mitch Marsh or Pooran, because they are big hitters and are known to hit big. So, I bowled slower, but I also wanted to vary my pace, as I didn't want to be predictable. If they hit a six or two, all the pressure built earlier gets released, reducing the margin of runs required," he stated.

His disciplined spell complemented a fiery effort from Jofra Archer, who returned figures of 3-20, as RR bowled LSG out for just 119 in 18 overs. Jadeja also addressed questions around his role and adaptability, especially after not completing his full quota of overs in some earlier games, stressing that team requirements always come first.

"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.

"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.

The win lifted Rajasthan Royals to second place on the points table, while LSG slumped to their fourth straight defeat.

- IANS