Three of LSG’s top four walked back for ducks. Inside three overs. Chasing 160.
Rajasthan Royals posted 159/6 at the Ekana on Wednesday — a total that looks modest anywhere else in IPL 2026. At Lucknow’s pace-friendly ground, where 160 is historically par, it was exactly enough — even though chasing teams won every match in the opening week of the season. RR bowled LSG out for 119 in 18 overs and won by 40 runs.
The margin flatters LSG. The match was over before the powerplay ended.
Jadeja Built the Total From Wreckage
RR’s top order collapsed first. Riyan Parag holed out on a botched helicopter shot. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi didn’t fire. Mohammed Shami (2/30) and Mohsin Khan (2/18) carved through the middle.
Then Ravindra Jadeja walked in and refused to leave. His 43 not out off 29 balls on a seaming, swinging track was the kind of innings that doesn’t make highlight reels but wins matches. A late stand with Shubham Dubey steadied things — then RR plundered 20-odd runs off the final over from Mayank Yadav, returning from injury and looking nothing like the express weapon LSG needed.
That pushed 140 to 159. But someone still had to defend it.
Archer Made Sure Nobody Could
Jofra Archer took 3/20. But narrow this to one spell and you miss the story — Nandre Burger grabbed 2/27, Jadeja dismissed Nicholas Pooran with a slower delivery that drew a mistimed heave, then stuffed an imaginary Pooran into his pocket. “He’s in my pocket,” he said afterward.
The real damage was self-inflicted. Rishabh Pant fell for a three-ball duck — sweeping early in a chase of 160 on a seaming deck. The same Pant whose unbeaten fifty won LSG a thriller against SRH just weeks ago looked like a different batter. Mitchell Marsh fought alone with 55, crossing 1,500 IPL career runs. Nobody stayed with him. “Our batting is letting us down,” Pant admitted.
Seven at Home. Five in Seven.
This was LSG’s seventh consecutive loss at the Ekana. Not a slump — a pattern. Five defeats in seven matches, fourth straight loss, and a captain whose shot selection keeps handing games away.
RR moved to second on the points table — a turnaround from when they lost to KKR at Eden Gardens earlier in the season. LSG, with two wins from seven, are burning through a 14-match season. Pant says the team needs to “keep finding ways.” At some point, the ways need to find results.