Jofra Archer delivered a fiery opening spell for the Rajasthan Royals by dismissing Rohit Sharma for a duck during the crucial IPL 2026 clash against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. The dismissal gave Rajasthan the perfect start in a must-win encounter as wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel completed an excellent low catch behind the stumps.
Archer struck on the fourth ball of Mumbai’s chase with a sharp delivery clocked around 145 kmph. Bowling from over the wicket, the England pacer extracted movement away from Rohit after pitching the ball on a good length. The MI opener attempted to guide it through the off side but only managed a thick outside edge.
Dhruv Jurel reacted brilliantly to his right and safely grabbed the catch, sending Rohit back without scoring. The dismissal also saw Rohit equal an unwanted IPL record, registering his 19th duck in tournament history — the joint-most alongside Glenn Maxwell.
WATCH – Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur Share Fiery Banter During MI vs RR Clash
According to available T20 statistics, Jofra Archer has now dismissed Rohit four times in the format, continuing a rivalry that has heavily favoured the Rajasthan Royals speedster.
Rohit Sharma ✅
Naman Dhir ✅Jofra Archer means business tonight 🔥
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/h2ze7K0gd6#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #MIvRR | @rajasthanroyals pic.twitter.com/8ZeY8G5pjp
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 24, 2026
Archer did not stop there. The fast bowler soon removed Naman Dhir for six runs, while Nandre Burger dismissed Ryan Rickelton cheaply as Mumbai slipped to 24/3 inside the powerplay. Earlier in the evening, Rajasthan Royals recovered brilliantly after a shaky start to post 205/8 in 20 overs. Jurel top-scored with a composed 38 off 26 deliveries, while Dasun Shanaka and Yashasvi Jaiswal chipped in with aggressive cameos.
ALSO READ: Shubham Dubey Falls in Controversial Fashion As Towel Incident Creates Chaos
Jofra Archer also made an impact with the bat, smashing a quickfire 32 off just 15 balls, including three massive sixes during the death overs. For Mumbai, Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur picked up two wickets each, but Rajasthan’s late acceleration proved decisive. With a playoff place on the line, Rajasthan Royals now need to complete the chase defense to secure qualification for the IPL 2026 Eliminator.
