What’s brewing? Ahead of IPL 2024, free agent Jofra Archer turns out for Karnataka team, breaks stump with ball | Cricket News
England speedster Jofra Archer, who has skipped the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, is the turning the heat, while playing for Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) XI against his county time Sussex in Alur.
The Sussex men’s first team is in Bangalore for a pre-season tour ahead of the County Championship which will get underway from April 5.
In a video posted Sussex County, Archer can be seen taking the wicket of Tom Alsop. In another tweet, the 28-year-old can be seen standing a huddle with the other KSCA XI players.
Wicket – Alsop out lbw, b Archer
The KSCA XI’s newest addition looks like a decent player tbf. 😅 pic.twitter.com/KXOTr6AgRI
— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) March 15, 2024
Archer has not played any professional cricket since May 2023, after he suffered a recurrence of an elbow stress fracture while playing for Mumbai Indians in the IPL.
Jofra Archer signing autographs for the kids outside Alur Stadium. (X | @SussexCCC)
Mumbai Indians bought Archer at the 2022 mega auction. After being entirely absent in the first season, Archer played just four matches in 2023 season before heading home after a recurrence of the elbow injury.
The pacer’s injury resurfaced midway into the ODI World Cup, where he was travelling as a reserve for England. Archer was sent back home, ruled out of the white-ball series in December in the West Indies, and there is no definitive timeline on his return.
However, Archer has been handed a two-year ECB central contract despite having played just seven white-ball matches for England since March 2021, a period of time in which he has been beset a fractured right elbow, as well as a stress fracture of the back.
With the T20 World Cup set to be played in the Caribbean and the USA in June and July, England will be hopeful Archer will regain his full fitness in the coming weeks and will play a key role in defending the title.
