Lucknow: Rajasthan Royals moved up to second place in the points table after defeating Lucknow Super Giants by 40 runs on Wednesday. Rajasthan posted 159/6 in 20 overs and then bowled Lucknow out for 119 in 18 overs. Lucknow, meanwhile, continue to struggle in ninth place, second from the bottom.
Chasing a target of 160, Lucknow never looked in control. Despite a fighting 55 off 41 balls from Mitchell Marsh—his first half-century of the season—the rest of the batting line-up failed to deliver. Rajasthan’s bowling attack was clinical, with Jofra Archer picking up three wickets, while Burger and Brijesh claimed two each. Ravindra Jadeja and Bishnoi chipped in with a wicket apiece.
Earlier, Rajasthan had a shaky start after being put in to bat. The team slumped to 83/5 in 12 overs, struggling to build momentum. Vaibhav Suryavanshi managed just 8 runs, while Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shimron Hetmyer contributed 22 each. Riyan Parag also fell after scoring 20.
It was Ravindra Jadeja who steadied the innings with an unbeaten 43 off 29 balls, including a six and two fours. His late acceleration in the final overs proved crucial in pushing Rajasthan to a competitive total. Donovan Ferreira added a modest 20 runs as Rajasthan finished on 159/6.
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For Lucknow, the pace trio of Mohammed Shami, Prince Yadav, and Mohsin Khan took two wickets each. Shami even had a chance to claim a hat-trick at one stage, but could not capitalize.
Lucknow’s chase got off to a disastrous start, losing three wickets for just 11 runs. Ayush Badoni was run out for a duck, captain Rishabh Pant fell for zero to Burger, and Aiden Markram was dismissed by Jofra Archer without scoring. Dhruv Jurel was sharp behind the stumps, taking key catches to further dent Lucknow’s hopes.
With this comprehensive win, Rajasthan strengthened their position among the top teams, while Lucknow will need a significant turnaround to stay competitive in the tournament.