England and Rajasthan Royals pacer Jofra Archer will miss the entire IPL 2021, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Friday.

The 26-year-old Archer underwent surgery on his middle finger and only just returned to bowling this week with higher intensity, and the ECB and Sussex medical teams will continue to monitor his progress.

”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 said in a statement.

”The ECB will confirm which matches he is expected to play in due course,” it added.

It will come as a huge blow for Jofra’s IPL franchise RR, who were desperately hoping that he would be available at least during the back-end of the tournament.

The ace pacer had a stellar last season, picking 20 wickets in 14 games, with an economy of 6.55 and having had scored 113 runs.

If Archer was to come to the IPL, he would’ve had to serve a mandatory seven-day quarantine period that would interrupt his preparation and bowling build-up, not ideal in his return to competition.

Both the Royals and Archer came to the decision mutually.
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