Fresh developments surround England fast bowler Jofra Archer, who is linked to a potential return to the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, Archer’s recent trip to Bengaluru wasn’t for IPL 2024 but rather to represent the Sussex Cricket Club in their pre-season tour ahead of the County Championship starting in April. Despite Sussex’s attempt to arrange warm-up games with Royal Challengers Bangalore, tight schedules prevented these matches.
Archer, having opted out of the upcoming IPL edition and with the T20 World Cup looming, seems unlikely to make a return to the domestic T20 tournament. During Sussex’s visit to India, Archer played for the Karnataka State Association XI team to assist Sussex in their practice sessions. Videos shared by Sussex on social media show Archer dismissing his teammates in warm-up matches, indicating his gradual return to full fitness.
Archer has been absent from professional cricket since May 2023 due to an elbow stress fracture suffered during IPL while playing for Mumbai Indians. Despite being roped in by Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2022 mega auction, Archer missed the entire first season and played only four matches the following year before being sidelined with the elbow injury.
During the ODI World Cup, Archer traveled to India with the England squad as a reserve, based on ECB’s medical reports. However, his injury resurfaced after a couple of light training sessions, leading to his departure before the tournament began. He was subsequently ruled out of England’s bilateral series against the West Indies following the ODI World Cup.
Mumbai Indians released Archer ahead of this year’s auction as the ECB sought to manage his workload. Archer opted not to enter the auction to prioritize his fitness for the T20 World Cup scheduled for June in the United States and the West Indies.
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