The 26-year old is currently recovering from surgery to remove glass fragments from his hand while also nursing an ongoing elbow injury
Jofra Archer will not be rushed back into IPL action, according to Rajasthan Royals director of cricket Kumar Sangakarra.
The 26-year old was the tournament’s MVP in 2020, taking 20 wickets at an economy of just 6.56. However, he is currently on the sidelines in England after undergoing surgery to remove fragments of glass from hand after he broke a fish-tank at his home in January.
Archer is also nursing an ongoing elbow injury which required him to have cortisone injections throughout England’s recent tour of India.
And, while his injury woes did tempt Rajasthan Royals to part company with the fast bowler ahead of February’s auction, his prowess as a T20 bowler persuaded the franchise to keep hold of their greatest asset.
"It was a tough decision," Sangakkara said. "The injury concern was flagged up going into the auction, but he was playing excellently for England. So, the chances of him playing in the IPL from the start and being managed by the experts was realistic. But we have contingency plans in place now and no risks will be taken.
"We are certainly hoping that he will be available for some part of the IPL. Not having him at the start is a big blow for us, because a lot of our planning is centred around his availability, and such last-minute injury concerns do affect any side, especially if it's a player of the quality of Jofra.
Sangakkara also acknowledged that Rajasthan have to consider Archer’s overall career and not just their own interests, continuing: "It’s very important that Jofra gets fit, not just for the IPL, but importantly for his international career. He needs to be in a very good space with his body, and mentally, when he does come here, so we're all waiting to see how the assessment goes. And once the assessment is done, we'll know more.
"We have to be concerned about him as a player because his career is long-term and is not restricted to just one season and the IPL," Sangakkara added.
"His value to world cricket and to England cricket is part of our decision and we will be guided by the experts in English cricket who look after Jofra. It's not something we look at selfishly and we take a holistic view of how important Jofra is."
A decision on Archer’s IPL availability is expected in the next week or two, but if he does fly out to India, he will face an eight-day quarantine period which will further reduce his contribution for Rajasthan.
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