IPL 2026: What Happened to Ravindra Jadeja as he gets Retired Hurt? Will the RR star Bowl?

The high-octane Qualifier 2 of IPL 2026 sees the Gujarat Titans (GT) taking on the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in a do-or-die battle for a spot in the grand finale.

While the match has already delivered historic moments such as RR's teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi becoming the first uncapped player to cross 700 runs in a single season, the focus has temporarily shifted to a major injury scare for Rajasthan. Veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was forced to retire hurt midway through his innings, raising immediate concerns for the Royals' bowling attack.

What Happened to Ravindra Jadeja? The Elbow Issue Explained

After RR won the toss and opted to bat first, they were rocked early by GT's Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada, losing Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel within the first two overs. In a tactical masterstroke, RR promoted Jadeja to No. 4 to stabilize the innings alongside Sooryavanshi.

However, trouble brewed during his gritty knock. Jadeja was seen visibly struggling with pain, eventually forcing him to retire hurt. With his sleeves rolled up, he was spotted heading upstairs to the dressing room for medical attention. This immediately sparked fears among fans and commentators that his nagging elbow issue had flared up once again. Riyan Parag walked out to the middle to replace him.

In a dramatic twist of events, following Parag's subsequent dismissal, Jadeja has padded back up and is set to resume his innings, demonstrating immense grit for his franchise in this knockout fixture.

Will He Bowl Against GT?

With Jadeja bravely returning to the crease with the bat, the burning question for RR fans is: Will he be able to bowl in the second innings?

While seeing Jadeja walk back out to bat is a massive relief for the Rajasthan Royals, his availability with the ball remains a strict game-time decision. If he does bowl, expect him to be heavily strapped, relying on his trademark stump-to-stump accuracy rather than sharp turn to keep GT's explosive batters at bay.