England pacer Jofra Archer turned up for a Karnataka team during a two-day practice match against County side Sussex at the KSCA Ground in Alur, near Bengaluru. Archer, who plays County cricket for Sussex, played as a substitute for the Karnataka team filled with U-19, U-23 and senior players. For the unversed, Sussex are in Bengaluru, India for a 10-day pre-season camp. They are expected to play a couple of practice games in Bengaluru games before returning to the South Coast.
With Sussex opting to bowl in the practice game, Archer didn't bowl on the opening day of the match. However, he turned up as a substitute player for Karnataka, taking two wickets.
Archer, who hasn't played competitive cricket for nearly 12 months, looked in good rhythm as he dismissed two of his Sussex teammates and one of them was an absolute ripper.
Archer last played competitive cricket during the Indian Premier League (IPL) last year. After missing the 2022 season, he played just five games last season, bagging two wickets.
He was released by the five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians ahead of the auction. In IPL 2023, fans expected Archer to be at his very best and guide MI to their sixth trophy, but a recurring elbow injury interrupted his season and affected his performances.
Archer was also ruled out from the Ashes series due to his medical condition as the scans revealed a recurrence of a stress fracture to his right elbow which cut short his stint in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the Mumbai Indians.