England fast bowler Jofra Archer has been re-added to the IPL auction list after initially being excluded from the final shortlist sent to franchises last weekend. The decision, confirmed informally to franchises on Thursday, comes just days before the two-day mega auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, starting on November 24. Archer’s exclusion from the initial 574-player list, which also omitted England’s Mark Wood, had raised eyebrows, particularly as both had featured in the original longlist. Archer had set his base price at INR 2 crore.
Archer will now appear in the first set of fast bowlers (Set 6) on the auction’s opening day. Discussions between Archer’s representatives, the ECB, and the BCCI reportedly influenced this decision. Archer, who holds an ECB central contract, has not played Test cricket since 2021 due to injuries. However, England remains optimistic about his return in 2025, with Rob Key, England’s managing director, expressing hope for his involvement in next summer’s Tests against India and Australia.
Spending April and May in the IPL could complicate Archer’s availability for Sussex in the early County Championship stages. The IPL’s new rules now prevent players from registering for subsequent mini-auctions if they miss a mega-auction or withdraw without legitimate reasons.
Archer, 29, returned to cricket this year after a long injury layoff. While managing his workload, he played in England’s ODI series and the T20 World Cup. Archer’s IPL career includes a standout 2020 season with Rajasthan Royals, where he took 20 wickets and earned the MVP title. Notably, Mumbai Indians purchased him for INR 8 crore in 2022 despite his injury.
USA’s Saurabh Netravalkar and Maharashtra’s Hardik Tamore have joined the auction list as players No. 575 and 576.
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