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Rajasthan Royals emerged victorious in a must-win match against the Mumbai Indians today at the Wankhede Stadium. It was virtually a knockout match for the Royals to make their way into the play-offs of the ongoing IPL 2026 season.
In the hour of need, it was Jofra Archer who created the difference between the two teams. The England international was impactful with both bat and ball against the Mumbai Indians. He was named the Player of the Match for his standout performance.
Don't think it's my best year- Jofra Archer
During the presentation ceremony, with the Player of the Match trophy in hand, Jofra Archer, who is mostly known as a pacer, classified himself as an all-rounder. His claims make sense as he scored 32 off 15 and took 3 wickets in 4 overs, offering only 17 runs against the Mumbai Indians today.
“Don't think it's my best year, I have bowled a little bit better than this. Every time you take the ball, you just try to bowl good areas. Some days you're not going to get rewarded. Happy that we got rewarded on the day we needed to win. Just trying to get the ball in good areas (talking about the powerplay wickets)."
"If you get hit for a boundary and it's a good ball, then fine. But you try to put the ball in the good areas. Coach's instructions - after the first two games, I was trying to bowl slower balls,” Jofra Archer said of his individual performance.
Jofra Archer claims to be an all-rounder
“And he said, I don't care what you do, I don't want any more pace-off from you. I'm just listening to the coach now. Your margin for error is a bit bigger when you go pace-on. Sometimes you have to deal with a few edges, but more often than not, it's the safer option. I wasn't expecting to bat so early."
"Because of the impact, I hardly get to bat. When the coach said put the pads on, I was surprised. I'm glad I was able to contribute. Well, I class myself as an all-rounder. I'm very good right now, touchwood (fitness-wise),” he added.
An entertaining match between MI and RR
The MI vs RR match was a thriller, a seesaw. In multiple junctures of the game, the Mumbai Indians were leading the race to claim the match. With the help of Jofra Archer’s stormy 32-run knock, RR secured a total of 205 runs in 20 overs in exchange for 8 wickets.
MI hit hard in the first innings when Rohit Sharma departed for a duck. It was the first strike for Jofra Archer. Later, Naman Dhir and MI skipper Hardik Pandya also found no answer against Archer.
Pandya’s wicket was crucial as he was batting well. Pandya missed his guards for 34 runs from 15 balls only. After the departure of Pandya, the rest of MI’s batting line-up collapsed quickly. Against RR’s 205, MI restricted for 175 for 9 in 20 overs.
Read More: IPL Points Table 2026: Updated Standings, Orange Cap, Purple Cap After MI vs RR Match 69
