LSG vs RR, IPL 2026: Jofra Archer stars as Rajasthan defend 159 against lacklustre Lucknow

The win helps Rajasthan Royals jump to the 2nd spot with 10 points from 7 matches. Lucknow remain 9th with four defeats on the trot. 

Team	P	W	L	NR	PTS	NRR
PBKS	6	5	0	1	11	1.420
RR	7	5	2	0	10	0.790
RCB	6	4	2	0	8	1.171
SRH	7	4	3	0	8	0.820
DC	6	3	3	0	6	-0.130
GT	6	3	3	0	6	-0.821
MI	6	2	4	0	4	0.067
CSK	6	2	4	0	4	-0.780
LSG	7	2	5	0	4	-1.277
KKR	7	1	5	1	3	-1.076

Lucknow Super Giants lose their third home match on the trot. They did well to restrict Rajasthan Royals to 159/6 but their batters were not good enough to chase down 160. Mitchell Marsh held the fort with a 55-run knock after Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger blew their batters away in the powerplay, reducing LSG to 11/3. Archer completes the formality in Lucknow with a yorker to clean up Mohsin Khan. RR win by 40 runs as LSG are bowled out for 119 in 18 overs.

What a catch by Dhruv Jurel. Pure reflex as Mayank Yadav poked a Jofra Archer delivery and Jurel was very quick behind the stumps to dive to his right and take the catch.

Brijesh Singh has two wickets in this over as he cleans up Mohammed Shami with a yorker. Shami was too late to react and with that, LSG are 8 down and it's just a formality now for Rajasthan.

Lucknow's last hope, Mukul Chaudhary, departs. Brijesh Sharma gets the wicket as Mukul tried to go after a short ball with no timing whatsoever. Riyan Parag made no mistake in taking the catch. LSG are 7 down.

Nandre Burger returns and he strikes. Mitchell Marsh hit Burger for a six on the first ball but this time, on a slower delivery, he mistimed and gave away a catch to Riyan Parag. Burger bowled wide off stump and Marsh had to reach. But as he did, he had no power behind that. LSG lose their 6th wicket for 105.

After a couple of 40s in the last two matches, Mitchell Marsh gets his first half-century of IPL 2026. This is a laborious knock on a tough pitch as it comes off 39 deliveries. He gets to the milestone witha six against Nandre Burger. With Mukul on the crease, he needs to get going and go after the RR bowling attack.

Last five overs for Lucknow and they need to get going. Mukul Chaudhary has joined Mitchell Marsh on the crease and that's the last recognised pair.

Ravi Bishnoi strikes and Lucknow lose their 5th wicket as Himmat Singh is cleaned up trying to sweep. Bishnoi pulls off a "write off" celebration.

Mitchell Marsh has begun to unleash as he is scoring a boundary every over. Against Ravindra Jadeja, he gets two as he takes him on with a sweep and a cut for four. With that, he moves to 40s. Marsh is the only LSG batter who has looked better and in control so far.

Lucknow Super Giants are 55/4 after 10 overs with 105 runs needed off the last 60 balls at 10.5 run rate.

Ravindra Jadeja strikes and the partnership ends as Nicholas Pooran departs. Pooran was patient, but the moment he tried to take Jadeja on, he did not get enough timing and gave away a catch to Donovan Ferreira for 22 off 25. LSG 54/4 after 9.4.

After 7 overs, Riyan Parag has introduced spin attack with Ravindra Jadeja. The pacers dominated the powerplay.

Another low-scoring powerplay at the Ekana Stadium. Lucknow manage just 31/3 with Jofra Archer (1/15) and Nandre Burger (1/15) breathing fire. 

Powerplay scores at Ekana in IPL 2026

• LSG 48/2 vs DC
• DC 33/4 vs LSG
• LSG 60/2 vs GT
• GT 52/1 vs LSG
• RR 44/3 vs LSG
• LSG 31/3 vs RR

Jofra Archer is breathing fire here with four consecutive deliveries north of 145kph. Nicholas Pooran is dancin to his tunes as he is unable to even hit a single delivery. Archer ended up with a maiden over inside the powerplay. 

• Ball 1: 148.2kph
• Ball 2: 147kph 
  
• Ball 3: 148.8kph 
  
• Ball 4: 148kph 
  
• Ball 6: 146.8kph 

Nicholas Pooran is also out of form and he joins Mitchell Marsh with the team already three wickets down in the first three overs.

A big swing by Aiden Markram on a shortish fast delivery of 147.4kph by Jofra Archer. And he only managed to top-edge for an easy catch by Dhruv Jurel. Lucknow lose their 3rd batter for a duck. LSG 11/3.

It is a brainfade moment for LSG captain. Rishabh Pant departs for a duck as well. Pant tried to sweep a Nandre Burger delivery on the front foot but did not reach the delivery. Instead, the ball took an edge for an easy catch to the keeper. LSG 10/2.

Rishabh Pant is the de facto opener, with Ayush Badoni falling for a duck. He joins Mitchell Marsh and before the ball gets older, Marsh-Pant pair has to find a way to score runs.

Ayush Badoni is run out for a duck. A miscommunication with Mitchell Marsh for the single and Badoni was well short of the crease as he tried to return to his crease. Substitute fielder Ravi Singh was on point with a direct hit. LSG 9/1.

Rishabh Pant 1st dislodged the stumps, the batter was not even in the frame but still they didn't make him run out. PSL things in IPL 😭 pic.twitter.com/A1UoBCKv8W

— Vitamin K(ohli) (@TheeDefender) April 22, 2026

Jofra Archer almost had Mitchell Marsh on the first delivery when he bowled a 143.7kph yorker. But Marsh had an inside edge and survived. Since that delivery, Marsh took the attack to Archer, smashing him through the covers for a 4 and then, over the mid-off for a four.

Mitchell Marsh begins a 160-run chase for Lucknow Super Giants. Ayush Badoni continues to open the innings with him. That means Aiden Markram will bat at No.5. Jofra Archer opens the bowling for Rajasthan.

Mayank Yadav concedes 20 runs off the final over as Rajasthan Royals finish at 159/6 at the end of 20 overs. Ravidra Jadeja emerges as the highest run-scorer with his 43-run knock off 29 deliveries. Mayank has a forgettable first outing in IPL 2026, finishing with figures of 0/56. LSG need 160 runs to win

Lucknow Super Giants take an useless review as the ball was completely going down the leg side but LSG thought so otherwise, and decided to take a review. Pant, who dived behind the wickets, got hit on his forehead by the ball after it pitched. But a desperate LSG wanted a review. Well, of course, the replay was going to show the ball missing the stumps completely. A waste of time!

Ravinda Jadeja (21 off 21) and Shubham Dubey (10 off 7) manage to score 11 runs off Digvesh Rathi's final over. The LSG bowler finishes with figures of 0/26 as RR reach 131/6 at the end of 18 overs.

Prince Yadav gets his second wicket as Donovan Ferreira is dismissed for 20 runs off 19 balls. Shubham Dubey comes in as the impact player for RR. The Royals are in deep trouble now. Yadav concedes just 3 runs off his over and takes a wicket.

RR have struggled after losing wickets in a heap so far, having managed to just go past 90 runs in 13 overs. They are five wickets down and all eyes are now on Ravindra Jadeja and Donovan Ferreira to make the most of what is left.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has created history once again, this time by becoming the fastest batter in IPL to reach 500 runs. 

Mohsin Khan gets his second wicket as Shimron Hetmyer gets caught out by Prince Yadav at mid-off. RR have lost half their side now.

Lucknow Super Giants all over Rajasthan Royals. 🔥

Mohsin Khan gets the dangerous Shimron Hetmyer after a quickfire cameo. 👊🏻#TATAIPL 2026 | #LSGvRR | LIVE NOW 👉🏻 https://t.co/PNPfcFt2z9 pic.twitter.com/ayqQpTLY3D

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 22, 2026

After a 147 kmph delivery in his very first over, Mayank Yadav clocks 149 kmph in his second over. He gets slammed for a six, but there is no doubt about the speed at which the LSG bowler is bowling at and what he is known for.

Rajasthan Royals have lost their 4th wicket as Riyan Parag is the latest batter to depart. The RR batter gets caught out by Nicholas Pooran off Prince Yadav and is forced to walk back after scoring just 20 runs.

Digvesh Rathi concedes just 6 runs off his first over as RR slow down. Parag and Hetmyer have struggled to get going

RR have managed to score just 44 runs in the first six overs, with Mohammed Shami getting rid of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel within the powerplay. RR's ability to make an impact early on in the innings has also suffered a blow due to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's early dismissal.

RR are in deep trouble as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is the latest batter to depart after scoring just 8 runs. Moshin Khan strikes as Digvesh Rathi takes a good catch as the batter attempts a big hit. RR lose their 3rd wicket. The LSG bowler takes a wicket-maiden!

Mohammed Shami gets two in two as he gets rid of Dhruv Jurel for a golden duck. The RR batter is caught behind for a golden duck. The Royals are in deep trouble now. Despite conceding 12 runs, the veteran pacer has infliclted the damage that was much-needed.

Mohammed Shami draws the first blood for LSG as Yashasvi Jaiswal gets bounced out for 22 runs off 12 deliveries, thanks to a fiery delivery from the bowlers which was taken well by Rishabh Pant. RR lose their first wicket!

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi slams two boundaries in the 2nd over as Prince Yadav turns out to be quite expensive, with a 13-run over in his very first.

Jaiswal seemingly is trapped for an LBW off Shami's second delivery, but he escapes as ball-tracking shows the ball going on to miss the stumps. Good on LSG to not take the review. A tidy over from Shami has he concedes just 7 runs in the first over.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal, the most feared opening duo, are out in the middle to commence the proceedings for RR. Umpire Ajitesh Argal makes his IPL debut. Mohammed Shami starts with the new ball for LSG.

Himmat Singh, George Linde, Manimaran Siddharth, Matthew Breetzke, Abdul Samad

Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Ravi Singh, Yash Raj Punja, Shubham Dubey, Tushar Deshpande

"We're looking to bowl first, you know. We have been playing in this condition. Still figuring what's best but, the way our team is, we want to put our opposition under pressure when they bat first. (On the conditions in Lucknow) When you look at last few matches, it's been challenging, but at the same time, as a team, we love that challenge. We're going to figure out a way, how we play on our home soil and not looking as a disadvantage. As a player, you're going to find the way. (Rejig after losing three matches?) I think mostly a little bit changes, just a subtle change because you don't want massive change because you want to still keep the stability in the team," LSG captain Rishabh Pant said at the toss.

Rajasthan Royals have named an unchanged Playing XI. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel(w), Riyan Parag(c), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Ravi Bishnoi, Brijesh Sharma, Nandre Burger

Mayank Yadav is back for the first time this season. He replaces struggling Avesh Khan, while Digvesh Rathi also returns for Lucknow. 

Mitchell Marsh, Ayush Badoni, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Mukul Choudhary, Mohammed Shami, Mohsin Khan, Prince Yadav, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Mayank Yadav

 

Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant has won the toss and opted to bowl first. Chasing teams have won 12 out of the last 15 matches. So, there is that reason.

With scores of 8, 1, 13, 19, 1 & 9, Nicholas Pooran has struggled to get going for Lucknow this season. And that is a major concern. He has averaged just 8.50 and has a strike rate of 79.68 after 6 innings. With him out of form, a lot of pressure has been on the other batters. For LSG to find success, Pooran is a crucial piece of the puzzle.

So far, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has not shown respect to any premium bowlers, including Jasprit Bumrah, Josh Hazlewood, Sunil Narine and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. All these bowlers have been hit for a six at least. Now, the 15-year-old faces Mohammed Shami, a master of seam at the Ekana Stadium, which will have plenty of help for pacers. Will he able to crack Shami code?

Let's take a look at the IPL 2026 Points Table before the match. Rajasthan Royals have lost the momentum to slip to 4th spot with two consecutive defeats. Lucknow Super Giants have lost three matches in a row to slip to 9th spot. 

Lucknow have their own problems. They sit ninth with two wins from six and are the only team in IPL 2026 yet to post a 200-plus total. The last outing was a 54-run hammering by Punjab Kings, with PBKS plundering 254 in 20 overs. Rishabh Pant and Mitchell Marsh have produced individual innings, but no one at LSG has converted that into a complete team performance.

To make matters worse, LSG have seemed puzzled with their batting order. Aiden Markram was dropped to No. 5 against PBKS with Ayush Badoni opening. Not so long ago, Rishabh Pant opened the innings. Their bowling have been bruised with PBKS batters going after the big names. Prince Yadav remains the only positive for them.

If you'd told anyone a week ago that the Rajasthan Royals would walk into Lucknow as the more worried side, they'd have laughed. But here we are. After galloping to four wins, RR have lost back-to-back games to struggling teams. For a franchise with a recent history of mid-season collapses, the alarm bells are not subtle. Skipper Riyan Parag's own form and the middle order around him are the key concerns.

That said, Rajasthan remain genuinely dangerous on paper. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been the tournament's most explosive young batter. His opening partner, Yashasvi Jaiswal, continues to score runs with remarkable consistency, which should trouble an LSG bowling unit that has been leaking runs all season.

But the kind of bowling attack Rajasthan have, they will have a chance. Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger have troubled batters, while Ravi Bishnoi and Ravindra Jadeja have been among the wickets. Bishnoi will have a fair idea of the conditions as he will return to Lucknow, where he spent four seasons. 

This is where the LSG vs RR match gets genuinely interesting, because Ekana has been the outlier venue of IPL 2026. While most grounds this season have served up 190-plus first-innings averages, Lucknow hasn't played to that template. The Ekana pitch has remained bowling-friendly with an average first-innings score of 153. Chasing sides have historically held the edge. Totals above 200 are relatively uncommon, making shot selection and middle-over control far more important here than anywhere else.

The one IPL 2026 game played at this ground so far told its own story. Batting first, LSG managed only 141 against Delhi Capitals, and DC knocked it off with 17 balls to spare. That was a red-soil pitch too. The black-soil surfaces Ekana sometimes rolls out are typically even slower and kinder to spinners.

Rajasthan Royals have had the upper hand in the LSG vs RR rivalry since it began in 2022. Across six IPL meetings, RR lead 4-2, with a highest score of 199 and LSG's best effort being 196.

LSG have struggled to defend totals against Rajasthan at home. Sanju Samson's unbeaten 82 at Jaipur in IPL 2024 is the highest individual score in the rivalry, a reminder that the Royals have repeatedly found ways to take the game away from LSG irrespective of venue.

• Matches Played: 6
• Rajasthan Royals won: 4
• Lucknow Super Giants won: 2
• No Result: 0