The English pacer sustained an injury during the India tour and declared himself unfit for the ODI series. The 25-year old speed gun will undergo surgery on his right hand and the recovery phase is likely to be long enough for Jofra Archer to miss the entire IPL 2021 season.
He is not the only English player with an injury on the tour of India. Eoin Morgan, and Sam Billings were also injured during the opening match of the ODI series. The England team has played back to back cricket around the globe under the bio-bubble restrictions ever since the lockdown was lifted. Playing under these conditions is out of the ordinary and it has clearly affected the players in many ways.
With their main pacer set to miss the upcoming IPL season, Rajasthan Royals will need to look for an alternative to lead the bowling attack. Among the overseas bowlers in the current squad, Andrew Tye, Mustafizur Rahman, and Chris Morris are potentially great options.
However, RR will also need to look for a replacement if Archer is to miss this IPL season completely. Not only does Archer offer great pace and bounce, but he is also very handy with the bat lower down the order. Here are some of the fast-bowling all-rounders that can replace Jofra Archer in the RR squad for IPL 2021 –
Scott Kuggeliejn
The Kiwi fast-bowling all-rounder had a great CPL season in 2020 where he picked 17 wickets in 11 matches playing for St Lucia Zouks. He can go for some runs in the power-play but is consistent with wickets. He can also score some quick runs adding strength and depth to the Rajasthan Royals batting order.
Thisara Perera
The Sri Lankan bowling all-rounder has great T20 experience including in the IPL. Considered a veteran in this format of the game, Perera has picked 31 wickets in 37 IPL matches and has a strike rate of 137 with the bat. He can hit the long ball really well in the death overs and can be a reliable finisher for the Royals.
Jack Wildermuth
IPL franchises have spent a great deal of money on the Australian pacers in the auction. Jack Wildermuth is probably one of the least talked about all-rounders from the BBL. While Jhye Richarson and Riley Meredith bagged big contracts, Wildermuth can be roped in as a replacement for Jofra Archer. A BBL season where he bagged 13 wickets at a strike rate of 19.38 must be enough to grab the selectors’ attention in the RR camp.