England fast bowler Jofra Archer has made a return to the final auction list of the Indian Premier League, shortly after his name was conspicuously absent from the initial shortlist provided to franchises last weekend. ESPNcricinfo has confirmed that this inclusion was informally communicated to franchises just three days ahead of the two-day mega auction, set to commence on November 24 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Although the IPL has not made an official announcement regarding Archer’s reintroduction, franchises are anticipated to show keen interest in this development, particularly as he is expected to be part of the first set of fast bowlers designated for bidding.
Originally, Archer’s name was omitted from the 574-player shortlist distributed to teams, alongside that of his England compatriot Mark Wood. This absence generated considerable speculation, given that both bowlers were featured in the preliminary longlist released by the IPL earlier. Archer has established a reserve price of INR 2 crore for this auction, and he will now compete in what has been labeled Set 6, which will see seven fast bowlers available for bidding on the first day.
Discussions between Archer, his representatives, and both the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) as well as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have reportedly taken place this week. These discussions aimed to clarify the potential ramifications had Archer remained off the shortlist. Notably, Archer maintains a central contract with the ECB that extends until the conclusion of the current season in September, which grants the board some say over his playing commitments and workload.
Despite not participating in Test cricket since early 2021, the England team expresses optimism regarding Archer’s prospects of returning to the longest format in the coming year, during which England is scheduled to host India and travel to Australia. England’s managing director, Rob Key, recently conveyed hope for Archer’s Test return in next summer’s campaign, reaffirming their positive outlook regarding his recovery and fitness.
Participating in the IPL during April and May would complicate Archer’s ability to contribute to Sussex in the early stages of the County Championship. Last year, the ECB opted to prevent Archer from entering the auction to safeguard his recovery from injury. However, entering the auction this year could have restricted him from participating in future tournaments until 2027 due to IPL regulations. The league’s new auction guidelines stipulate that players who have previously competed in the IPL but do not register for a mega-auction become ineligible to participate in subsequent mini-auctions. Moreover, players who withdraw from an auction without valid justification face a two-year suspension.
At 29, Archer made his competitive return this summer after enduring a lengthy injury hiatus. He featured prominently in England’s recent white-ball series against teams such as Pakistan, Australia, and the West Indies, in addition to joining the squad for the T20 World Cup. His physical condition was meticulously monitored throughout these matches, allowing him to play all three One Day Internationals (ODIs) against the West Indies earlier this month.
During the previous mega-auction in 2022, Mumbai Indians secured Archer for a substantial INR 8 crore, approximately USD 1.06 million at that time, despite him having recently undergone elbow surgery and being sidelined for the entire season. In 2023, he played five matches for Mumbai Indians, taking only two wickets before again facing an elbow injury that curtailed his participation. Historically, Archer has proven to be a formidable IPL competitor; during his last full season with Rajasthan Royals in 2020, he was recognized as the Most Valuable Player (MVP), securing 20 wickets in that season held in the UAE. Over his IPL career, he has accumulated an impressive total of 48 wickets from 40 matches.
In addition to Archer’s inclusion, recent updates to the auction shortlist also involve two new players. Saurabh Netravalkar, a fast bowler from the USA, will be listed as player No. 575, while Hardik Tamore, a wicketkeeper-batter from Maharashtra, will assume the title of player 576 in the upcoming auction.
This year’s auction promises to be an intriguing affair, particularly with the inclusion of significant personalities such as Archer. Cricketers, franchises, and fans alike will be following the developments closely, as the auction results could have profound implications for team compositions in the forthcoming IPL season. As the mega auction draws closer, the stakes rise, and teams will strategize not only on the acquisition of players but also on how to best utilize their resources to achieve success in the highly competitive league.