Jofra Archer and Kedhar Jadhav were among the major absentees from the IPL 2024 Auction List that was released on December 11.
Archer has faced a tumultuous period with recurring injuries that have significantly impacted his cricketing career. His troubles began in early 2020 when he first experienced pain in his right elbow, leading to a stress fracture that sidelined him from several matches, including parts of the South Africa tour and the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Despite attempts at rehabilitation and periods of recovery, Archer’s injury woes persisted. A stress fracture in his back in May 2022 compounded his difficulties, ruling him out for the rest of the season. His much-anticipated comeback was cut short by another setback in his elbow, which led to him missing the Ashes and the entire 2023 English summer.
Archer’s participation in competitive cricket has been sporadic since his last Test match in March 2021. He managed a brief return to international cricket earlier in 2023 but continued to struggle with elbow discomfort.
He did make his IPL return in 2023 for MI and played a handful games before heading back home. MI would then go on to release him before the auction.
Speaking to the Telegraph, England’s managing director Rob Key had said that Archer was keen to go into the IPL auction, but ECB felt like they needed to be in control of the situation for now as he continues his recovery.
“Jofra was keen to go into the IPL auction but we just feel like, actually, the best way to do this now is just for us to be in control of it. There’s no commitment either way, and we can then just bring you back.
“If it takes an extra couple of months, but he gets another couple of years out of his career, and gets back fully… I think he’s worth his weight in gold.”
Another major absentee from the list was Kedhar Jadhav, who did make a brief appearance for RCB last season. There were reports suggesting that he would put his name in the two crore bracket but once the list came out, his name was missing.
