England fast bowler Jofra Archer bowed for a Karnataka team against Sussex during a two-day practice match at the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) ground in Alur, near Bengaluru on Friday, March 15. Archer played as a substitute for a Karnataka team, which had a mix of U19, U23 and senior-side players.
Jofra Archer arrived in India as part of a 10-day training camp for County Championship side Sussex in Bengaluru. Another English club side, Lancashire, is also in Bengaluru for a training camp ahead of the upcoming County season. Both Sussex and Lancashire are expected to play a couple of practice games in Bengaluru before returning home.
Jofra Archer, who plays for Sussex, did not bowl on the opening day of the tour game against the Karnataka team after the tourists opted to bowl. However, he joined the Karnataka team as a substitute on Friday.
Jofra Archer picked up two wickets in the morning session and one of them was a stump-breaker. The England fast bowler was looking in good rhythm as he ran into bowl to his Sussex teammates.
Jofra Archer has not played competitive cricket since IPL 2023 in which he turned up for Mumbai Indians. The express fast bowler has been recovering from a stress fracture in his right elbow for which he underwent surgery.
Jofra Archer will not be part of IPL 2024 as the England pacer, who has had recurrence of elbow injury, did not put his name for the auction. The England and Wales Cricket Board has been cautiously managing his workload and he is expected to be in contention for place in their T20 World Cup squad.
England’s T20I captain Jos Buttler expressed confidence that Jofra Archer can regain full fitness and play the T20 World Cup in June in the USA and the West Indies.
“A couple of times (I’ve spoken to him). It’s really exciting for him that hopefully he’s going to get back to performing because as a captain, he’s someone you want to throw the ball to,” Buttler said while speaking at an event to promote Major League Cricket.
