Jaipur, April 24 (IANS) Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja credited his mental preparation and ability to visualise pressure scenarios for his match-winning performance in RR’s 40-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Wednesday.
“I had a magic wand in my pocket. As soon as I put my hand in it, I felt something. Why did you move ahead in such a team? I have played in such a situation for so many years. My batting has never been in such a situation in my entire career. I have played in such a situation very rarely. I have got used to this thing,” Jadeja said in a video released by Rajasthan Royals on Friday.
In a low-scoring encounter, Jadeja’s unbeaten 43 off 29 balls lifted Rajasthan Royals to 159/6, with a crucial late flourish alongside Shubham Dubey. His late assault, including a 20-run final over, proved decisive on a tricky surface.
Reflecting on his mindset, Jadeja emphasised the importance of mental rehearsal. “This thing keeps running in my mind. This situation can also come in a T20 game. If the wicket fell 3-4, then I would have to go and handle the batting. I visualise this and see myself in the same situation. I get a lot of help in this. I keep thinking about that situation. I get a lot of benefit from it,” he said.
Defending 159, which is the lowest total successfully defended this season, RR’s bowlers produced a clinical effort to bundle out LSG for just 119 in 18 overs. Jofra Archer starred with 3-20, while Nandre Burger and Brijesh Sharma picked up two wickets each as LSG slumped to their fourth straight loss despite Mitchell Marsh’s fighting 55.
Jadeja noted that the pitch conditions played a significant role in shaping his approach with both bat and ball.
“Wicket was not that easy. Personally, I felt that it was not a typical T20 wicket. There were some fast bowlers on the wicket. There was a seam. There was a swing, too. It was not that easy to hit a shot in the T20 format in today’s wicket.”
Jadeja, who also took one crucial wicket, explained his bowling strategy, where he mixed his pace effectively to trouble the LSG batters.
“When I came to bowl, I felt that I could use the pace of the ball. My plan succeeded. When I was batting, I felt that the ball was not coming well on the bat. It was getting stuck. There was a little grip,” he said.
“I thought that I would not bowl fast. I will bowl and mix. There was a lefty and a righty playing in front of me. It is not easy to bowl against them. But I backed my strength. I thought that batsmen would also think that it is not that easy to hit a big shot. I kept that in mind and executed the same plan,” he added.
Meanwhile, with this win, the Rajasthan Royals are placed at number 2 in the points table with five wins in seven matches. They will next face Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at their home ground, Sawai Mansingh Stadium, on Saturday.
–IANS
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