Jadeja & Dhoni (Source: AFP)
Rajasthan Royals face Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 Eliminator at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. The knockout match decides which team advances to Qualifier 2 and which one is knocked out of the tournament.
For Royals all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, this fixture carries a personal milestone. When he takes the field, he will play his 24th IPL playoff or knockout match. That number puts him level with some of the legendary names in the league’s history.
Ravindra Jadeja Pulls Off Massive Milestone
Jadeja’s playoff journey started in the inaugural 2008 season with the Rajasthan Royals. As a teenager, he was part of the side that won the title. Since then, he has featured in Qualifier 1, Eliminator, Qualifier 2 and Final matches for both RR and Chennai Super Kings.
Across 17 seasons, his 24 knockout appearances reflect a career built on deep tournament runs. He has won four IPL championships, 2008 with RR, and 2018, 2021 and 2023 with CSK.
Most matches in IPL Playoffs/Knockouts:
- 28 - MS Dhoni
- 24 - Ravichandran Ashwin, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja*
- 23 - Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu
The all-time list is headed by Dhoni’s 28 playoff games, built over his long captaincy tenure with CSK and a short spell with Rising Pune Supergiant. Ashwin and Raina sit on 24.
Raina’s appearances came entirely for Chennai before his retirement. Rohit Sharma and Ambati Rayudu follow with 23 each. Jadeja, still active, can overtake Ashwin and Raina if Rajasthan win this Eliminator and reach Qualifier 2 or the final.
Jadeja has delivered several decisive playoff moments. His most famous came in the 2023 final against the Gujarat Titans, with CSK needing ten runs from the last two balls, he smashed a six and a boundary off Mohit Sharma to win the title.
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In Eliminator matches, he has regularly contributed tight bowling spells, sharp fielding and run-outs. The Mullanpur game adds another chapter to that knockout record.
Ravindra Jadeja’s IPL Feats
Ravindra Jadeja stands alone as the only player in IPL history to achieve the triple crown of 3,000-plus runs, 150-plus wickets and 100-plus catches.
After the 2026 league stage, he has scored 3,469 runs at a strike rate of 130.61, taken 178 wickets at an economy of 7.69, and held 110 catches.
In IPL 2021, Jadeja equalled the record for the most runs off a single over, smashing Harshal Patel for 36 runs (37 including a no-ball). He struck four sixes and two fours in that over, matching Chris Gayle’s feat.
In the 2023 final, he delivered one of the great finishes under extreme pressure and won the Player of the Match award.
How Impactful Jadeja Has Been To RR
Jadeja’s association with Rajasthan Royals began in 2008 when the franchise picked him fresh from an Under-19 World Cup win. Warne immediately identified his raw talent and used him as a middle-order aggressor.
Jadeja scored 135 runs at a strike rate of 131.06 that season and was a member of the starting XI that beat Chennai Super Kings in the final.
Ahead of the 2026 season, one of the biggest trades in IPL history brought Jadeja back. CSK traded him and Sam Curran to Rajasthan in exchange for captain Sanju Samson.
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Jadeja’s salary was revised to ₹14 crore. He returned to Jaipur as a four-time champion, leaving CSK as a legend and rejoining the franchise where it all began.
Back in pink, Jadeja formed a tight spin partnership with Ravi Bishnoi. The duo choked runs through the middle overs and provided control that RR had missed.
With the bat, his left-handed finishing gave the lower order a reliable option next to power-hitter Donovan Ferreira. In do-or-die league games and in the Eliminator, his big-match temperament will be one that RR will be desperate to see.
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