Jofra Archer is unfazed by harsh criticism amid the IPL versus England controversy

IPL 2026, MI vs RR: Rajasthan Royals assistant coach Trevor Penney says Jofra Archer is unfazed by criticism in the ongoing IPL vs England debate and insists he remains focused and is not affected by outside noise.

Jofra Archer is currently playing for Rajasthan in IPL 2026. Courtesy: Reuters

Rajasthan Royals assistant coach Trevor Penney says Jofra Archer is unfazed by the harsh criticism amid the ongoing IPL vs England debate. Former England captains Michael Atherton and Michael Vaughan questioned the ECB’s decision to allow Archer to continue in the IPL ahead of England’s first Test against New Zealand.

Atherton spoke of the long-standing tension between franchise leagues and international cricket and urged caution for Archer as he returns from a long injury lay-off. Vaughan was more direct, arguing that England’s central contract system loses value if players can prioritize IPL commitments over preparing for Tests.

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Speaking ahead of RR’s clash against Mumbai Indians on Sunday, Penney said Archer remained unfazed, adding that his focus was on cricket, rarely discussing the issue and going about his routine, unaffected by outside criticism or speculation.

“I’ve read some of the articles. It’s quite strange because it’s a big tournament. Everyone knows the IPL is the thing to come to. So if he misses one game for England, so be it. I think that’s the way he’s thinking,” Penney told a pre-match press conference.

“I don’t think he’d mind. He might be a little upset, but I can’t answer that for him. He’s just being normal. He’s hardly mentioned it. The guys haven’t even talked about it. So it is what it is,” Penney said.

“Either you choose to stay here and annoy people over there or you leave early and then you risk upsetting people here and you might never come back to the IPL,” Penney added.

ENGLAND GUIDES THE WORK OF JOFRY ARCHER

England have carefully managed the return of Jofro Archer after a series of elbow injuries and stress ruled him out of extended Test action from 2021. He has only recently returned to consistent international cricket across formats and remains under strict workload monitoring by the ECB.

Archer was left out of the squad for the opening Test against New Zealand as part of a gradual return to red-ball cricket.

As for Rajasthan Royals, they need to win their last league match at the Wankhede Stadium to secure a place in the playoffs without relying on sheer run rate. Defeat could see them eliminated from the tournament.

– The end

Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

23 May 2026 18:12 IST

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