Jofra Archer to join RCB? England star's cryptic Instagram story before IPL 2024 opener vs CSK creates furore

Is England fast bowler Jofra Archer looking for a late entry into the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL)? It was a common question raised on social media after a video of Archer bowling in a match for English County side Sussex in Bengaluru went viral. Two days later, on Sunday, an Instagram story of Archer, created a furore on X, formerly known as Twitter, which left many thinking whether the 28-year-old is en route to joining Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), with the IPL 2024 season opener against defending champions Chennai Super Kings just five days away.

Archer, who was released by Mumbai Indians last November, before the mini-auction in Dubai, returned to action earlier this week for the first time since May 2023. The England pacer travelled with the Sussex squad to Karnataka as part of a pre-season preparatory camp before the start of the County championship.

In the video that went viral on Friday, Archer, who turned up for KSCA XI, was seen bowling in a two-day warm-up game in Alur, where he even picked up wickets against his own County side. The clip quickly sparked questions about whether Archer is making a late effort to bag an IPL contract for the 2024 season. But if that wasn't enough, an Instagram, post on Sunday sent RCB fans into overdrive as he shared a picture of the RCB cafe.

Archer was roped in by Mumbai Indians in 2022 with the dream of unleashing the most lethal pace-bowling combination in the modern era alongside Jasprit Bumrah. However, Archer missed that entire IPL season, and on returning the following year, he played just four matches before the elbow injury reoccurred.

Archer, however, remains in the scheme of things for the T20 World Cup in June this year, with England managing his workload, which is why he did not submit his name for the auction. The ICC event will start on June 1 and is being held in the West Indies and the USA.