Why Ravindra Jadeja dedicated his POTM award to Gujarat's Education Minister after RR beat LSG

Ravindra Jadeja came up with a match-winning performance in the IPL 2026 clash between Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium on Wednesday. He later dedicated his Player of the Match award to Gujarat’s Education Minister.

Jadeja played a crucial all-round role in RR's 40-run win over LSG. He scored an unbeaten 43 off 29 balls at a time when the team was struggling, helping them reach a respectable total of 159/6. He also contributed with the ball, picking up an important wicket as LSG were bowled 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.

Why did Jadeja dedicate his award to a Gujarat minister?

The 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 last year after a cabinet reshuffle led by Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel.

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Jadeja has been actively supportive of Rivaba’s political journey as well. He had campaigned for her during the 2022 Gujarat Assembly elections, where she secured a victory from the Jamnagar North Assembly constituency.

Coming back to the match, LSG had started strongly with the ball, thanks to efforts from Mohammed Shami, Mohsin Khan and Prince Yadav, who picked up two wickets each. However, their batting collapsed during the chase of 160.

Led by captain Rishabh Pant, LSG were bowled out for just 119 in 18 overs, losing the match by 40 runs. Mitchell Marsh scored a fighting half-century, but lacked support from the rest of the batting lineup.

Rajasthan Royals’ bowlers did a fine job defending the total, with Jofra Archer leading the attack with three wickets, while Nandre Burger and Brijesh Sharma picked up two wickets each.