'I'Kept my mind...' Donovan Ferreira after ending PBKS's unbeaten run
What's the story
Rajasthan Royals (RR) all-rounder Donovan Ferreira played a key role in his team's six-wicket win over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the IPL 2026 match on Sunday. The South African international scored an unbeaten 52 off just 26 balls, ending PBKS's winning streak. After his stellar performance, Ferreira said he kept his mind clear and focused on taking it ball by ball during the match.
Game strategy
Ferreira's approach to the match
Ferreira, who was traded to RR from Delhi Capitals (DC) for ₹1 crore ahead of IPL 2026, said he approached the match just like a kid playing with a toy truck. He said, "Just kept my mind nice and clear." The all-rounder had earlier impressed with a 44-ball 69 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, but this time he played a crucial role in guiding RR past PBKS's target of 223 runs.
Key collaboration
A match-winning partnership for RR
Coming in at 123 for 3 in the 12th over, Ferreira formed a crucial unbeaten partnership of 77 runs off just 32 balls with No. 6 Shubham Dubey. This partnership helped RR chase down the target and move from fourth to third on the IPL 2026 points table. "I kept on telling the guys, 'we need to be positive, it's not that hard to get that score," Ferreira said after his match-winning innings.
Chase tactics
Thoughts on the final overs
With a solid base set in the chase by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's quickfire 43 off 16 balls and Yashasvi Jaiswal's aggressive half-century, RR needed around 12 runs per over in the last eight overs. Ferreira said he knew "one good over" would make RR firm favorites in the chase. The 18th over from Arshdeep Singh leaked 17 runs while Lockie Ferguson's bowled went for another 16 runs, setting up Ferreira to finish off the game with four balls to spare.
Team outlook
Ferreira pleased with middle-order performance
Ferreira stressed the importance of middle-order performances like his in RR's victory. He was also pleased with Shubham's contribution and said, "I'm really pleased that I'm hitting the ball well. Shubham came in and did well too." Looking ahead, RR sits third with 12 points from nine games. They will host Delhi Capitals on May 1 before facing Gujarat Titans at home on May 9.