Jadeja's POTM gesture explained: Why did he thank Gujarat's Education Minister?
Ravindra Jadeja turned in a match-winning all-round performance for Rajasthan Royals in their IPL 2026 clash against Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium on Wednesday, but it was his post-match gesture that truly grabbed attention.
Ravindra Jadeja delivered a decisive all-round performance to power Rajasthan Royals to a 40-run win over Lucknow Super Giants in their IPL 2026 clash at the Ekana Stadium on Wednesday before his post-match gesture grabbed attention.
Jadeja played a crucial role in RR's 40-run win, stepping up at a time when the innings threatened to drift. Walking in under pressure, he produced an unbeaten 43 off 29 balls, ensuring Rajasthan posted a competitive 159/6. He then made his presence felt with the ball as well, picking up an important wicket while helping bowl LSG out for 119.
"Feeling good, winning Man of the Match. I want to dedicate the award to the education minister of Gujarat. She said yesterday that I will do well and I did," Jadeja said in the post-match presentation.
The Gujarat education minister he referred to is his wife, Rivaba Jadeja, who currently serves as the Minister of State for Primary, Secondary and Adult Education in the Government of Gujarat. She was appointed to the role following a cabinet reshuffle led by Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel.
LSG vs RR: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
Jadeja has remained closely involved in Rivaba's political journey as well. He had actively campaigned for her during the 2022 Gujarat Assembly elections, where she secured victory from the Jamnagar North Assembly constituency, marking a significant step in her rise within the state's political landscape.
On the field, Rajasthan Royals would be indebted to their experienced all-rounder for pulling them out of a precarious situation. With wickets falling at regular intervals, Jadeja combined with Shubham Dubey to stitch together a vital partnership that gave the innings much-needed stability. His ability to rotate strike and find timely boundaries ensured RR had a defendable total on a surface that did not allow easy strokeplay.
He later returned to make a tactical impact with the ball, using match-up awareness to remove Nicholas Pooran at a crucial juncture, effectively stalling LSG's chase. His figures may not have been headline-grabbing, but the timing of his intervention proved decisive.
Lucknow Super Giants, despite an encouraging effort from their bowling unit led by Mohammed Shami, Mohsin Khan and Prince Yadav, faltered badly in the chase. The trio had laid a solid platform by restricting Rajasthan, but the batting unit failed to capitalise.
Chasing 160, LSG struggled to build momentum and eventually collapsed for 119 in 18 overs. The slide began when skipper Rishabh Pant attempted an ill-judged sweep-cum-hoick, a dismissal that summed up the hosts' lack of composure under pressure. From there on, the innings unravelled quickly, with Rajasthan's bowlers tightening their grip.
The win propelled Rajasthan Royals to second place on the points table with 10 points from seven matches, keeping them firmly in contention despite a batting effort that, for large parts, lacked fluency.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
Ravindra Jadeja delivered a decisive all-round performance to power Rajasthan Royals to a 40-run win over Lucknow Super Giants in their IPL 2026 clash at the Ekana Stadium on Wednesday before his post-match gesture grabbed attention.
Jadeja played a crucial role in RR's 40-run win, stepping up at a time when the innings threatened to drift. Walking in under pressure, he produced an unbeaten 43 off 29 balls, ensuring Rajasthan posted a competitive 159/6. He then made his presence felt with the ball as well, picking up an important wicket while helping bowl LSG out for 119.
"Feeling good, winning Man of the Match. I want to dedicate the award to the education minister of Gujarat. She said yesterday that I will do well and I did," Jadeja said in the post-match presentation.
The Gujarat education minister he referred to is his wife, Rivaba Jadeja, who currently serves as the Minister of State for Primary, Secondary and Adult Education in the Government of Gujarat. She was appointed to the role following a cabinet reshuffle led by Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel.
LSG vs RR: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
Jadeja has remained closely involved in Rivaba's political journey as well. He had actively campaigned for her during the 2022 Gujarat Assembly elections, where she secured victory from the Jamnagar North Assembly constituency, marking a significant step in her rise within the state's political landscape.
On the field, Rajasthan Royals would be indebted to their experienced all-rounder for pulling them out of a precarious situation. With wickets falling at regular intervals, Jadeja combined with Shubham Dubey to stitch together a vital partnership that gave the innings much-needed stability. His ability to rotate strike and find timely boundaries ensured RR had a defendable total on a surface that did not allow easy strokeplay.
He later returned to make a tactical impact with the ball, using match-up awareness to remove Nicholas Pooran at a crucial juncture, effectively stalling LSG's chase. His figures may not have been headline-grabbing, but the timing of his intervention proved decisive.
Lucknow Super Giants, despite an encouraging effort from their bowling unit led by Mohammed Shami, Mohsin Khan and Prince Yadav, faltered badly in the chase. The trio had laid a solid platform by restricting Rajasthan, but the batting unit failed to capitalise.
Chasing 160, LSG struggled to build momentum and eventually collapsed for 119 in 18 overs. The slide began when skipper Rishabh Pant attempted an ill-judged sweep-cum-hoick, a dismissal that summed up the hosts' lack of composure under pressure. From there on, the innings unravelled quickly, with Rajasthan's bowlers tightening their grip.
The win propelled Rajasthan Royals to second place on the points table with 10 points from seven matches, keeping them firmly in contention despite a batting effort that, for large parts, lacked fluency.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
