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Jofra Archer is set to miss the 2024 IPL season, with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) taking a proactive approach to manage his workload in anticipation of the T20 World Cup in the following year. The talented fast bowler has been sidelined from professional cricket since May 2023, following an elbow stress fracture recurrence while representing the Mumbai Indians in the IPL.
Despite briefly attending the T20 World Cup in India as a reserve player, Archer faced additional elbow pain during training in Mumbai, cutting short his time in the country to less than a week. Notably, he is absent from the roster of over 1000 players, including 34 English cricketers, who have enlisted for the IPL auction scheduled for December 19. Archer’s recent signing of a two-year central contract with England, running from October 2023 to September 2025, aligns with the ECB’s decision to advise him against entering the auction.
Robert Key, the managing director of England men’s cricket, has emphasized collaboration with franchise leagues. However, the ECB’s strategy involves having Archer under its supervision in the UK during April and May, rather than him participating in the IPL, allowing the board greater control over his return to the game.
Earlier this year, Archer had left the IPL prematurely to consult with an elbow specialist in Belgium after experiencing pain in his Mumbai Indians debut. A subsequent minor operation was followed by his return for four more games before being diagnosed with a recurrent stress fracture by England’s medical staff.
Key asserted the ECB’s commitment to managing Archer’s comeback meticulously, acknowledging the importance of having him fit for key events, including the T20 World Cup in June 2024. With limited first-team opportunities in the early English season, Archer may only participate in the County Championship before the T20 Blast commences on May 30. The prospect of featuring in the 2nd XI county T20 competition in mid-May remains an option for him to showcase his fitness.
While Archer’s initial IPL contract with the Mumbai Indians for the 2022 season was affected by a back injury, he was released from his contract last week as franchises finalized their retentions. Archer is currently retained by MI Cape Town for the second season of the SA20 in early 2024, contingent on the progress of his rehabilitation. Although he is slated to train with England’s white-ball squads in Barbados, his absence from the ODI and T20I series against West Indies is confirmed.
Given Archer’s injury history, the ECB plans to adopt a cautious approach, prioritizing his long-term career over rushed returns. The news comes amid other England players making IPL auction entries, with key players seeking competitive match practice ahead of the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the United States.
