NEW DELHI: After five hours of intense auction action, Rajasthan Royals finally bought their first player, snapping up England pacer Jofra Archer for Rs 12.50 crore. The Royals, known for their strategic picks, brought back Archer, adding a world-class bowler to their roster.
Archer, who played his last IPL season in 2020, was added back to the shortlist three days before the auction.
Archer made his comeback this summer after a lengthy injury layoff, featuring in England's white-ball series against Pakistan, Australia, and the West Indies, as well as the T20 World Cup.
In the 2022 mega auction, Mumbai Indians invested Rs 8 crore in Archer despite his elbow surgery, which ruled him out for the season. He returned to play five matches for MI in 2023, claiming two wickets before another elbow injury prematurely ended his campaign.
Archer's last full IPL season was in 2020, where he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) after taking 20 wickets for Rajasthan Royals in the UAE edition. Across his IPL career, Archer has taken an impressive 48 wickets in 40 matches.
Archer entered the auction with a base price of Rs 2 crore, and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) were quick to make the first bid. Mumbai Indians (MI) soon joined the race, setting the stage for an intense bidding war.
The competition between MI and LSG saw the bid surge past Rs 6 crore, with LSG taking it up to Rs 6.25 crore. MI kept pushing, and the price soared beyond Rs 8 crore when Rajasthan Royals (RR) entered the fray at Rs 8.5 crore.
MI responded with Rs 8.75 crore, and the two franchises went head-to-head, driving the bid past Rs 10 crore. RR took the lead at Rs 11 crore, but MI came back at Rs 11.25 crore. As the bid escalated to Rs 12 crore, RR held strong. MI briefly countered with Rs 12.25 crore but ultimately bowed out.
Rajasthan Royals finally secured Archer for Rs 12.5 crore, marking a homecoming for the star pacer.
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