Rajasthan Royals (RR) speedster Jofra Archer has been ruled out of the entirety of the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Friday (23 April).
Archer earlier missed the ODI leg of England’s recent tour of India due to a recurrent injury in his right elbow. He was ruled out of the initial phase of IPL 2021 after sustaining a terrible hand injury while cleaning a fish tank. He needed surgery to remove glass fragments from his right hand.
Archer, 26, has returned to the action earlier this week under the close scrutiny of the ECB and Sussex medical team.
‘Archer returned to bowling this week with higher intensity, and the ECB and Sussex medical teams will continue to monitor his progress. Archer will now step up his training regime starting next week and will be in full training with Sussex,’ the ECB confirmed in a statement.
Jofra Archer led Rajasthan’s pace attack last season. He picked up 20 wickets in 14 matches and was the MVP in IPL 2020. Having lost Ben Stokes due to finger injury, Archer’s absence will be a big blow for the franchise.
Rajasthan Royals will take on Kolkata Knight Rider at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on Saturday, April 24. They have only one victory in as many as four attempts and languishes at the bottom of the points table.