Media365
The final over of Rajasthan Royals’ innings against Mumbai Indians produced one of the most entertaining moments of IPL 2026, with old Chennai Super Kings teammates Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur at the centre of the drama. RR were trying to push past the 200-run mark in a must-win clash when Shardul appeared to deliver a huge breakthrough. Bowling a slower delivery outside off, the pacer forced Jadeja into a mistimed slap towards cover. As soon as the catch was taken, Shardul erupted in celebration, roaring in delight and visibly pumped after thinking he had removed the dangerous all-rounder at a crucial moment. Jadeja, meanwhile, had already started walking back. But within seconds, the entire mood changed. The no-ball siren suddenly went off as replays showed Shardul had overstepped. The dismissal was overturned immediately, leaving the MI pacer stunned. Jadeja instantly turned around with a grin on his face while Shardul’s celebration awkwardly came to a halt. And that was only the beginning. With a free-hit now coming up, Jadeja made sure to punish his former CSK teammate in style. Shardul dropped short on the next delivery and Jadeja swivelled beautifully before smashing the pull over mid-wicket for four. The RR dugout erupted as the all-rounder stared back with a smile. The very next ball disappeared too. Shardul offered width outside off and Jadeja hammered a powerful drive through cover for another boundary. By then, the RR batter looked fully fired up and appeared to cheekily celebrate in Shardul’s direction, almost mocking the earlier wicket celebration after the dramatic no-ball twist. Fans instantly loved the moment because both players share a strong bond from their years together at Chennai Super Kings, where they were part of multiple successful campaigns. Their animated exchange clearly carried a playful edge rather than genuine hostility, but it still added spice to a tense contest. Jadeja eventually finished unbeaten on 19 off just 11 balls after arriving as an impact substitute at No. 9. His late cameo, combined with Jofra Archer’s explosive 15-ball 32 and useful contributions from Dhruv Jurel and Dasun Shanaka, powered Rajasthan Royals to 205 for 8. Shardul and Deepak Chahar picked up two wickets each for Mumbai Indians, but the final over belonged entirely to Jadeja, who turned embarrassment into entertainment within the space of three deliveries.
