Donovan Ferreira and Shubham Dubey of Rajasthan Royals (ANI Image)
Donovan Ferreira has admitted that the years he spent waiting on the sidelines in the Indian Premier League have become a major driving force behind his performances for Rajasthan Royals this season.Ahead of RR’s crucial IPL 2026 match against Gujarat Titans in Jaipur, the South African batsman reflected on finally getting regular opportunities after limited playing time during his first three seasons in the tournament.Ferreira has emerged as one of the most dangerous players for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026. The 27-year-old has scored 229 runs in 10 matches at an average of 45.80 and an impressive strike rate of 177.52. His impact has been particularly significant in the death overs, where he has consistently accelerated the innings with fearless strikes. Eleven of his 16 appearances this season have come between the 17 and 20 overs, highlighting his effectiveness as a finisher.
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When asked about his late-innings success, Ferreira gave a lukewarm answer.“I don’t really know. It just has to be in the middle of my racket. Or they just send me better rackets. No, I think it’s done that way, swinging nice and strong. And it leaves me nice and fresh now, like a car battery like a fully charged car battery after a full rest. So, yeah, ready to play today and hopefully we can have more success today,” Ferreira said.
The South African explained that finishing is a role he has played throughout his career and one he truly enjoys despite the pressures associated with it.“I mean, that’s my role on the team and that’s what I have time for. So, I think it’s exciting for me to be in that role. I’ve always been in that role my whole career. So it’s good for that to happen because when it doesn’t happen, you kind of, how can I say, it doesn’t look great.”
“But yeah, for me, it’s started, so I hope it keeps going forward,” he added.Ferreira also revealed that the lack of opportunities during his previous IPL campaigns continues to motivate him this season.“I think for me, especially in the ISL, it was a big motivation. This was my fourth season now and I didn’t really get a lot of opportunities. I carried a lot of drinks in the first three seasons,” he said.“So, for me, that was a very big motivation, especially in this tournament. And then, when you go to other tournaments, I just try to find motivation for that particular tournament because for me, it’s very important to keep it focused, beautiful and focused in every tournament. And when you go to the next tournament, you actually shift your focus to that tournament and you get some new motivation again,” the Proteas all-rounder added.