Published 12 hours ago • loading... • Updated 4 hours ago
All-Round Archer Powers Rajasthan Into IPL Play-Offs
On Sunday, England pacer Jofra Archer led Rajasthan Royals to the final IPL 2026 playoff berth, defeating Mumbai Indians by 30 runs at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The victory pushed Rajasthan to 16 points and fourth place.
A late surge powered Rajasthan to 205/8 after an unsteady start from their top order. Archer's blistering 32 off 15 balls, combined with Ravindra Jadeja's 19 off 11, helped the team add 73 runs in the final five overs.
Defending the target, Archer triggered a top-order collapse by returning 3-17 and removing Rohit Sharma for a duck. Mumbai slipped to 49/4 after the powerplay, significantly hampering their chase of 206 runs.
Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya led Mumbai's chase with 60 and 34 runs respectively, but the team finished at 175/9. The loss ends a disappointing season for the five-time winners, who finished ninth in the league.
Rajasthan will face third-place Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator on Wednesday in New Chandigarh. The winner advances to Qualifier 2, with the final scheduled for Ahmedabad.