IPL 2021 / Jofra Archer will not play in the IPL 2021: ECB

England pacer Jofra Archer will not be available for Rajasthan Royals in the ongoing IPL 2021, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced. Earlier, ECB had cleared Archer to resume training after undergoing surgery on his hand on March 29. "Archer will now step up his training regime starting next week," ECB said on Friday.

Vikrant Shekhawat : Apr 23, 2021, 09:21 PM
Cricket Desk: Rajasthan Royals (RR) and England fast bowler Jofra Archer will not travel to India for the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Friday.

Archer, 26, had earlier been ruled out of the early matches of the IPL due to an elbow injury. The ECB said in a statement on Friday that he has returned to bowling "with higher intensity" this week and it will assess his medical progress along with his county side Sussex.

"Archer will now step up his training regime starting next week and will be in full training with Sussex. It is expected that he will return to cricket in the next fortnight if he can continue to bowl and prepare pain-free. The ECB will confirm which matches he is expected to play in due course," it said.

Archer thus becomes the second England player with RR to be ruled out for the season after all-rounder Ben Stokes returned to the country with a finger injury he sustained while fielding in RR's first match of the season. In their absence, RR have struggled to get going and find themselves bottom of the table with three losses and one win in four matches.