Archer Leads RR to 40-Run Win as LSG Suffer Fourth Straight Defeat

Lucknow, April 2026 : A fiery spell from Jofra Archer powered Rajasthan Royals (RR) to a commanding 40-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in their IPL 2026 clash at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

Defending a modest total of 159 — the lowest successfully defended score of the season — RR delivered a clinical bowling performance backed by sharp fielding to bundle LSG out for just 119 in 18 overs. The win also marked Rajasthan’s first away victory this season and propelled them to second place on the points table.

Archer was the standout performer, finishing with impressive figures of 3 for 20. He received excellent support from Nandre Burger and Brijesh Sharma, who claimed two wickets each, while Ravindra Jadeja and Ravi Bishnoi chipped in with one apiece.

LSG’s chase got off to a disastrous start. Ayush Badoni was run out for a duck on the final ball of the first over following a mix-up. Captain Rishabh Pant continued his poor run of form, falling for a three-ball duck in the next over, edging a delivery from Burger to wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel.

The situation worsened when Archer struck with a sharp bouncer to dismiss Aiden Markram for a duck, leaving LSG reeling at 16 for 3. Despite a six from Mitchell Marsh, LSG crawled to 31 for 3 at the end of the Powerplay, struggling to recover from the early blows.

Marsh stood out as the lone warrior for LSG, playing a determined knock of 55 off 42 balls, including six fours and two sixes. However, he found little support from the other end. Nicholas Pooran made a brief contribution with 22 runs before being caught at long-on off Jadeja, triggering a middle-order collapse.

Ravi Bishnoi then cleaned up Himmat Singh with a quicker delivery, while Burger returned to remove Marsh in the 16th over, effectively ending LSG’s hopes. Brijesh Sharma sealed the contest in the 17th over by dismissing Mukul Choudhary and Mohammed Shami in quick succession.

Archer came back to deliver the final blows. A stunning catch by Jurel helped dismiss Mayank Yadav before Archer knocked over Mohsin Khan with a fiery delivery to wrap up the innings.

Earlier, RR had posted 159 for 6, with Jadeja top-scoring with an unbeaten 43 and Yashasvi Jaiswal contributing 22. For LSG, Mohsin Khan and Prince Yadav picked up two wickets each.

The match highlighted Rajasthan’s disciplined bowling and fielding effort, which proved decisive in defending a below-par total. For LSG, the defeat marked their fourth consecutive loss, raising concerns about their batting consistency as the tournament progresses.

Brief scores:

Rajasthan Royals 159/6 in 20 overs (Ravindra Jadeja 43 not out, Yashasvi Jaiswal 22; Mohsin Khan 2-17, Prince Yadav 2-29) beat Lucknow Super Giants 119 in 18 overs (Mitchell Marsh 55, Nicholas Pooran 22; Jofra Archer 3-20, Brijesh Sharma 2-18) by 40 runs