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Even during a tense Indian Premier League (IPL) game with playoff qualification on the line, both Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur shared a friendly moment on the field during the Mumbai Indians' (MI) final game of the season against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, May 24. 

Shardul was tasked with bowling the final over of the first innings. On the fourth ball of the over, it seemed like the right-arm pacer had gotten the better of the RR all-rounder and gave him a teasing send-off. However, the ball was declared a 'no-ball', adding fuel to the fire. The subsequent free hit was hit for a four on the offside, with Jadeja giving back to Shardul by punching both hands. 

The banter, however, was not complete. The next ball was also hit for a four, with Jadeja celebrating it in front of Shardul with even more passion, bringing out a smile on the fast bowler's face. 

Jadeja's cameo towards the end made sure that RR surpassed 200 in the first innings. Coming in as an Impact Sub in the death overs, the left-handed batter scored an unbeaten 19 off 11 balls, an innings which included three boundaries. A win for the Royals will guarantee them a place in the IPL 2026 playoffs. 

It is worth noting that both Shardul and Jadeja were teammates when the duo represented the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) before going their separate ways. Both all-rounders helped CSK win two IPL titles, in 2018 and 2021. Shardul ended the 2021 season as his side's leading wicket-taker, with 21 scalps to his name at an economy rate of 8.80. He did return to Chepauk for one season in 2024, but took a mere five wickets for the five-time champions.