ECB confirms that Jofra Archer will miss start of IPL 2021

Jofra Archer's elbow injury deteriorated during the T20I series against India and forced him out of action for the upcoming three-match ODI series. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), in its latest statement, also confirmed that the pacer will miss the start of this year's Indian Premier League (IPL).

While naming the squad for the ODI series, the ECB also gave an update on Jofra Archer. In their statement, the board mentioned the pacer will return to the UK for further management and investigation of his right elbow injury.

The statement further suggested that the ECB medical team, along with Jofra Archer, will work out an action plan to help the cricketer return to the cricket field soon.

"The ECB medical team will assess the player and, together with Jofra, develop a treatment plan and a return-to-play schedule in due course. As a consequence, Jofra will miss the start of this year’s Indian Premier League," the ECB wrote in its statement.

Jofra Archer's absence could impact the Rajasthan Royals

The news comes as a massive blow to the Rajasthan Royals (RR), as the extent of his injury is not yet known. It remains unclear how long the pacer will be out of action.

"We are waiting for official communication from the ECB," a Rajasthan Royals official told ANI earlier in the day.

Jofra Archer looked to be in good form during the recently concluded T20I series against India. The 25-year-old was the second-highest wicket-taker in the series with 7 wickets in 5 matches at an average of 22.14. His economy rate (7.75) was the third-best in the series, behind Bhuvneshwar Kumar (6.39) and Hardik Pandya (6.94).

In the IPL, Jofra Archer's contribution has been massive for the Royals over the last three years. The Englishman was at his best in IPL 2020 with 20 wickets in 14 games, at an average of 18.25 and an economy rate of 6.55.

The franchise will dearly miss last year's MVP's presence, given that they are slightly over-reliant on Archer in the bowling department.