Rajasthan Royals (RR) produced a commanding performance to beat Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by 40 runs in the 32nd match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Wednesday (April 22).
LSG, who won the toss and elected to bowl first, struggled throughout as RR posted a competitive 159/6 before bowling out the hosts for just 119 in 18 overs. This win helped RR bounce back in a big way to extend LSG’s losing streak to four matches.
Rajasthan Royals are building a competitive squad despite an early collapse
RR got off to a shaky start after being put into bat. Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (22 off 12) and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (8 off 11) fell quickly, followed by Dhruv Jurel for a duck, leaving RR at 32/3 in four overs. Led by Mohammed Shami (2/30) and Mohsin Khan (2/17), the LSG pacemen made perfect use of early seam movement and grip on the pitch.
However, captain Riyan Parag (20 off 19) and Shimron Hetmyer (22 off 18) steadied the ship. The real turning point came when Ravindra Jadeja came into play. The all-rounder played a mature knock and anchored the innings with an unbeaten 43 off just 29 balls, including two boundaries and a six. Shubham Dubey provided the late flourish with a quick 19 off 11 balls. Together, they lifted the RR to a defendable total on a slow, low-bouncy surface.
LSG’s bowling was disciplined early but ran out of runs in the death overs with Mayank Yadav going for 56 runs in his four overs without a wicket.
LSG’s pursuit crumbles under pressure
Chasing 160, LSG’s top order collapsed dramatically. Ayush Badoni was dismissed for a wicket, skipper Rishabh Pant fell to Nandré Burger for a duck and Aiden Markram was dismissed for a wicket by Jofra Archer. At 11/3 for less than three overs, the home side were in big trouble.
Mitchell Marsh fought bravely with a score of 55 off 41 balls but lacked support. Nicholas Pooran scored 22 before falling to Jadeja while substitute Himmat Singh managed 15. The middle and lower order could not generate any momentum against RR’s colorful bowling attack.
Jofra Archer was the star with impressive figures of 3/20 in four overs, using yorkers and variations of pace to devastating effect. Ravi Bishnoi, Nandre Burger and Brijesh Sharma also chipped in with crucial wickets as LSG were bowled out for 119.
Ravindra Jadeja’s all-round brilliance steals the show
Ravindra Jadeja was named player of the match for his match-winning performances with both bat and ball. His calm presence in the middle and economical spell of 1/29 helped RR control the game. Archer’s three-goal run and the Royals tight end added to LSG’s woes. The pitch offered grip and variable bounce, making it difficult for the chasing side to hit.
IPL 2026 Points Table Impact
Rajasthan Royals have climbed to the second position in the IPL table 2026 points. They now have 10 points from seven games and a +0.790 NRR.
On the other hand, Lucknow Super Giants are struggling at the ninth spot after their fourth straight loss. They have 4 points from seven games and an NRR of -1.277.
