Injured or tactical call? Ravindra Jadeja becomes first player to retire hurt in IPL playoffs history during RR vs GT Q2

Injured or tactical call? Ravindra Jadeja becomes first player to retire hurt in IPL playoffs history during RR vs GT Q2 originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

RR are batting first against GT in IPL 2026 Qualifier 2.

Ravindra Jadeja came out to bat at number 4 against GT.

Jadeja was retired out when he was batting at 35 off 20.

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Injured or tactical call? Why was Ravindra Jadeja retired out in GT vs RR Qualifier 2?

Veteran Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja became the first player in the history of IPL to get retired out in the middle of an innings in a playoff game.

Jadeja came out to bat at No.4 after RR lost Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel's wickets early in their innings. Jadeja, however, brought the much-needed stability in the RR innings as he had formed a steady partnership with young opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

In fact, Jadeja looked more aggressive compared to Sooryavanshi, who was slower than his usual approach to the game.

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Unfortunately, the partnership was broken after Jadeja was forced out of the pitch, while batting 35 off 20 balls. Jadeja had earlier received medical attention and was visibly in discomfort as he finally left the pitch in the eighth over.

MORE: Why was the RR vs GT IPL Qualifier 2 toss done twice?

Ravindra Jadeja returned to the crease after sitting out for a few overs

Jadeja recovered quickly and returned to the pitch in the 13th over as RR seemed to be in trouble after losing wickets in quick succession.

After Jadeja left the field, captain Riyan Parag came to bat but did not last long. It was the same for Dasun Shanaka and Jofra Archer as they departed cheaply, putting the pressure on RR.

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After Archer was dismissed by Kagiso Rabada, Jadeja returned to the ground to steady the ship, alongside Sooryavanshi.

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The Cricket News Opinion: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi delivers in yet another high-pressure game

After scoring 97 off 29 balls and starring in RR's win over SRH in the Eliminator, young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi once again delivered with the ball in the Qualifier 2, which is virtually a semi-final despite missing out on another century by a few runs.

Sooryavanshi has remained unfazed by any pressure and already seems to have the mentality of a champion at just 15.

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