WATCH: Star player from Sanju Samson’s Rajasthan Royals plays in THIS match after over 1500 days
England are engaged in an enthralling first Test against India at the Headingley in Leeds currently. Team India are 159 runs ahead at lunch on Day 4 with 7 wickets in hand. But skipper Ben Stokes received some good news with star speedster Jofra Archer taking the field in a County Championships match for Sussex against Durham on Monday.
Archer is playing his first first-class match after a gap of 1501 days, since 2021, and bowled a spell of 4 overs for 11 runs with 2 maidens. Earlier, the Rajasthan Royals pacer walloped 31 off 34 balls for Sussex with 1 six and 3 fours as his side were bowled out for 361 after batting first. Netherlands all-rounder Bas de Leede was the pick of the bowlers for Durham, claiming 4/96.
For Sussex, batter James Coles top-scored with 148 off 219 balls with 17 fours and 1 six while opener Daniel Hughes notched up 60. Archer is aiming to join the England squad for the second Test against India in the five-match series for the ‘Tendulkar-Anderson’ Trophy.
A video of Jofra Archer bowling in first-class cricket after 1501 days went viral on social media, check it out HERE…
Rajasthan Royals bought Jofra Archer for Rs 12.5 crore
Archer was bought for Rs 12.5 crore by Sanju Samson’s Rajasthan Royals team at the IPL 2025 mega auction last year. The 30-year-old claimed 11 wickets in 12 matches in IPL 2025 for RR but his team failed to make the Playoffs, finishing in 9th position on the Points Table.
The Sussex pacer has had a stop-start career with England due to injuries. He has claimed 42 wickets in 13 Tests for England but his last Test match came more than 4 years back against India in Ahmedabad in 2021.
Jofra Archer is aiming to return for 2nd Test vs India at Edgbaston
Archer is aiming to return to the side for the second Test which begins at Edgbaston in Birmingham on July 2. Stokes had revealed last week Archer’s tremendous eagerness to play Test cricket.
“He’s been absolutely desperate to put the white shirt back on,” said Stokes last Thursday ahead of the first Test at Leeds. “He’s had a torrid run with injuries, but he’s managed a fair bit of white-ball cricket recently. The fact that we can now put a structure in place for his red-ball return is a great sign.”
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