Star English pacer Jofra Archer, who was purchased by Indian Premier League side Mumbai Indians for Rs 8 crore in the players’ mega auction earlier this year, is likely to play for the franchise in the 2023 edition of the cash-rich league. The 27-year-old pacer has previously played for the Rajasthan Royals in the world’s richest franchise cricket league but was unavailable in the last two editions due to injury.
According to a report in Cricbuzz, the right-arm pacer who last played any competitive game on July 20, 2021, has already started bowling and will be fully ready by March, when the IPL is slated to kick off.
As per the information available at the moment, Archer is recovering well and will hopefully be able to make his full return in early 2023. He is currently in the UAE with the England Lions team.
“He is currently in the UAE with the England Lions team and is continuing his rehab. He is making excellent progress, and the view is that he will be looking to play competitively again during the early part of 2023,” an ECB spokesperson was quoted as saying.
The Barbados-born England international cricketer made his debut for the Three Lions just before the start of the ODI World Cup in 2019 and then went on to play a big role in helping the Eoin Morgan-led side end the 44-year wait for a maiden World Cup title.
He was trusted to bowl the all-important Super Over, in which he successfully managed to keep Kiwi batters in check.
In the IPL as well, Archer has made a name for himself. He is known for his express pace and wicket-taking abilities. In three seasons of the cash-rich league in which he has participated, Archer has 46 wickets to his name from 35 matches. In the Mumbai Indians set-up, he will form a lethal bowling pair with Indian superstar Jasprit Bumrah, who missed the support of a world-class player in the 2022 edition.
