IPL 2018: Jofra Archer's cricket journey in 4 phases

West Indies is the country that is known to produce sensational cricketers that can enthrall the audience with their performances. The Caribbean style of cricket is engaging and entertaining. It adds that extra spice to the game, which attracts the fans from all over the world. One word that is often associated with the West Indian cricketers is swag. A big fat gold chain, a fancy looking wrist watch and colourful shoes combined with Michael Jackson-like dance moves and a great taste in music is what defines almost every Caribbean cricketer today.

IPL is as big as a Bollywood blockbuster movie and the West Indian cricketers participating in it are no less than superstars. The dazzling Dwyane Bravo, awe-inspiring Andre Russell, captivating Chris Gayle and scintillating Sunil Narine have entertained the audience in this year's IPL. The buoyant and young Jofra Archer is another addition to this group of superstars.

Let us know more about this exciting prospect and see how his cricket journey has been so far.

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#1 Missed the spot in the West Indies U-19 World Cup squad 2014

Born to an English father and a Bajan mother, Archer mastered his cricket skills in Barbados itself. His all-around capabilities acquired him a place in the Barbados U-19 cricket team. His energy and agility impressed the West Indian U-19 selection committee and he was fast-tracked to the West Indian U-19 setup in 2013.

Injuries and fast bowling go hand in hand and unfortunately for the young Archer, a string of injuries to his back meant that he could only play 3 matches for the U-19 team.

Recurring injuries gradually pushed Archer out of the selection circuit and he could not make it to the 2014 U-19 World Cup squad of West Indies. The iron-willed Archer did not give up and moved to the next important phase of his cricket career - the English county.

#2 Moved to Sussex in a quest for a place in England side

Jofra Archer is looking forward to playing for England

Barbados-born English pacer Chris Jordan suggested Archer to join Sussex and play in the English county.

Archer did not waste time and moved to Sussex with an aspiration to play for the England national side. Sussex tried him on Jordan's recommendation and were highly impressed by the raw pace and steep bounce that Archer could generate.

Archer made his mark with the ball in his debut first-class game where he picked up 4 wickets against Pakistan. The menacing fast bowler who wreaked havoc consistently, soon found himself as the key element in Sussex's championship side.

Archer's consistency and match-winning ability while playing for Sussex made selectors take note of him. Unfortunately, according to the ECB rulebook, he cannot represent England till the winter of the year 2022. The rule says that the prospective player has to complete 7 years of residency in England under the British Passport after their 18th birthday.

Archer has made up his mind to represent England and feels that it would be worth the wait.

#3 Earned the nickname 'the cult hero' in the Big Bash League

Jofra Archer was one of the highest wicket-takers in the BBL 2018

Although Archer was the leading wicket-taker for Sussex in the County Championship 2017, he shot to fame on getting a chance to play for Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League 2018. In the BBL, Archer was splendid in his debut match for Hurricanes as he bowled a double-wicket maiden against the Melbourne Renegades.

His leg crushing yorkers, savagely fierce bouncers bowled at 90 miles an hour, power hitting ability with the bat, agility in the field and a laid-back attitude made him a sensation in the BBL. Soon, he got the nickname - 'the cult hero'.

Archer was instrumental in Hurricanes' success in the BBL 2018 where they reached the finals, taking 16 wickets in 12 games with an average of 23.06 and an economy rate of 7.96.

#4 Hitting a new high - IPL's new million-dollar man

Jofra Archer was signed for a whopping INR 7.2 crores

IPL auctions are filled with surprises. Stories of rags to riches and that of star players failing to get bidders make the auctions a very engaging and exciting event. During this IPL auctions too, the fans witnessed intense bidding wars between the franchises to get the players of their choice and form a winning squad. One such bidding war was for Jofra Archer that went on to become the highlight of the IPL 2018 auctions.

Finally, it was Rajasthan Royals that managed to acquire the talented West Indian for a massive INR 7.2 crores. The amount invested has already started to reap fruits for the RR as Jofra Archer troubled the MI batsmen in his debut match picking up 3 crucial wickets and bagging the Man of the Match award as well. He was economical, giving away just 22 runs in his quota of 4 overs.

The RR and its fans would be hoping to see more match-winning performances from him.