IPL: LSG speedsters shine, restrict RR to 159/6 in Lucknow

Ravindra Jadeja top-scored for RR, smashing 43 off 29 to take his side to a fighting total after early setbacks.

For LSG, Shami, Yadav, and Khan took two wickets each, while Mayank Yadav and Digvesh Rathi went wicketless.

Asked to bat first, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi opened the innings for Rajasthan Royals, with Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi once again setting the tone early by racing to 20 in just two overs with their trademark aggression.

However, veteran pacer Mohammed Shami turned the game on its head, delivering a double blow, first dismissing the in-form Jaiswal for 22 after conceding two consecutive boundaries, and then removing Dhruv Jurel for a golden duck on the very next delivery.

Mohsin Khan also made an impact by dismissing the dangerous Sooryavanshi for 8 after building pressure with five consecutive dot balls. Following the early setbacks, skipper Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer steadied the innings for Rajasthan Royals, rotating the strike effectively while finding boundaries at regular intervals.

The duo added crucial runs before Riyan Parag was dismissed by Prince Yadav for 20 at the end of the ninth over. Parag's lean run in IPL 2026 continues, with the Rajasthan Royals skipper still struggling to find consistency with the bat.

Shimron Hetmyer shifted gears in the following over, taking on Mayank Yadav and smashing him for 14 runs to revive the Rajasthan Royals' innings. However, Mohsin Khan struck back in the very next over, getting the better of Hetmyer for 22 and bringing Donovan Ferreira to the crease.

As a 33-run partnership was getting strong between Ferreira and Ravindra Jadeja, Prince Yadav struck, removing Ferreira for 20, bringing Impact Player Shubham Dubey to the crease.

Mohsin Khan continued his impressive spell, maintaining tight control and conceding just six runs in the 17th over.

Rathi completed his spell with a slightly expensive over as Dubey finally breaks the shackles, picking up a boundary with an outside edge over backward point in the 18th over.

Dubey took on Prince Yadav in the 19th over, hitting him for two fours. Jadeja finally opened up his arms in the last over and smashed 20 runs in the final over to take RR to 159 in their 20 overs. (ANI)