The Mumbai Indians have received a major boost ahead of the IPL 2023 season, with reports confirming that England fast bowler Jofra Archer will be available for the entire tournament. Despite concerns that Archer might leave early to prepare for the Ashes and the World Cup, Cricbuzz has reported that the pacer will be available for all of the Mumbai Indians’ games this season.
After being sidelined due to injuries for 18 months, Archer made his return to competitive cricket in January 2023 for MI Cape Town in the SA20 league. Although Mumbai knew about his unavailability last season, they still spent INR 8 crore to secure his services.
While Mumbai had hoped to pair Archer with Jasprit Bumrah and create a formidable pace attack, Bumrah is now expected to miss the upcoming season due to his back injury.
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According to Cricbuzz, Jofra Archer’s workload will be managed by both the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the IPL franchise. The ECB officials have stated that he should be able to play a full part in the IPL, and his franchise and the ECB will monitor his workload.
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Archer, who is currently representing England in the ongoing ODI series against Bangladesh, recently picked up six wickets in a single game during the ODI series against South Africa. With Bumrah out, the Mumbai Indians will be relying heavily on Archer to deliver the goods and help them win their sixth IPL title.
However, questions remain over whether Archer is the same bowler after his return from injury, which only time will tell. It will be interesting to see how Mumbai uses him in different situations throughout the season.
