IPL 2026: Jofra Archer Surpasses Shane Watson To Become Leading Wicket-Taker For Rajasthan Royals

English seamer Jofra Archer became the leading wicket-taker for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) during the match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Wednesday. He took three wickets in the match and overtook Australian all-rounder Shane Watson's tally of 67 wickets in the IPL. Archer now has 68 wickets for the franchise in the IPL. Playing his 54th IPL game for the franchise, Archer conceded just 20 runs in his four overs, including a maiden, and claimed three crucial wickets while his team was defending a modest total of 159 runs at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.

Watson played 84 matches for RR and took 67 wickets at an average of 27.83 and an economy rate of 7.55. Watson last played for the Royals in the 2015 season.

Yuzvendra Chahal, who played for the franchise from 2022 to 2024, is third on the list of wicket-takers with 66 wickets to his name. He played just 46 matches and claimed wickets at an average of 22.80.

Archer has bowled four maidens out of the 208 overs he has bowled for the franchise. The premier fast bowler made his IPL debut with RR in 2018 and was a key part of the side till the 2020 season. He rejoined the franchise ahead of the 2025 season and has now become one of the most important members of the squad.

The Royals successfully defended 159 runs against LSG on the back of top performances from their fast bowlers. Nandre Burger (27/2) and Brijesh Sharma (18/2) also played key roles in RR's comprehensive 40-run win over the hosts.

Rajasthan Royals currently stand in second place on the points table after this win and will face Sunrisers Hyderabad in their next match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Saturday.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Cricket Rajasthan Royals IPL 2026 Jofra Archer