England’s Jofra Archer has been added back to the final list of players for the upcoming IPL Auction 2023, just days after his name was not included in the initial shortlist. Archer’s return was confirmed to the franchises just before the two-day mega auction kicks off on November 24 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Why Was Archer Missing?
Archer, along with his England teammate Mark Wood, was initially left out of the shortlist of 574 players. This raised some questions, as both fast bowlers were originally included in the longlist sent by the IPL. Archer had set his base price at INR 2 crore.
Now, Archer will be part of the first set of fast bowlers (Set 6), which includes seven quick bowlers. This group will go up for bidding on the first day of the auction.
Archer’s Discussions with the ECB and BCCI
ESPNcricinfo reports that Archer and his team have been in talks with both the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) this week. They are seeking clarification on the impact of his non-inclusion in the initial IPL shortlist. Archer holds a central contract with the ECB, which runs until September, giving the board control over his workload.
Archer’s Plans for the Future
Despite not playing Test cricket since early 2021, England is hopeful that Archer will return to the format in 2024, when they face India at home and Australia away. Rob Key, England’s managing director, said, “Everything is going exactly to plan for Jofra,” and expressed hope that Archer could play Tests next summer.
Spending April and May in the IPL, however, would make it difficult for Archer to play in County Championship matches for Sussex, potentially delaying his Test return. The ECB had previously blocked Archer from entering last year’s IPL auction to protect him from rushing back too soon after injury. If he entered this year’s auction, he would not have been able to play in the IPL until 2027 at the earliest.
New IPL Auction Rules
The IPL has introduced new rules for this auction cycle. Players who have appeared in previous seasons but didn’t register for the mega-auction this year won’t be able to enter the subsequent mini-auction. Additionally, players who sign with an IPL team and then withdraw without a valid reason will face a two-year ban.
Archer’s IPL Career
Archer, 29, made his return to cricket this summer after a long injury break. He played in white-ball series against Pakistan, Australia, and the West Indies, as well as in the T20 World Cup. His workload was carefully managed, and he was able to complete all three ODIs in the Caribbean earlier this month.
At the 2022 IPL auction, Mumbai Indians spent INR 8 crore (around USD 1.06 million) on Archer, even though he was recovering from elbow surgery and wasn’t fit to play that season. In 2023, he played five matches for MI, taking two wickets before another elbow injury ended his season prematurely.
In his most successful IPL season, Archer was named MVP in 2020 after taking 20 wickets for Rajasthan Royals in the UAE. Overall, Archer has taken 48 wickets in 40 IPL matches.
Other IPL Auction Additions
In addition to Archer, two other players have been added to the auction list:
- Saurabh Netravalkar, a fast bowler from the USA, will be player No. 575.
- Hardik Tamore, a Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper-batter, will be player No. 576.
