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Rajasthan Royals' star pacer Jofra Archer has been officially ruled out of IPL 2021. The England Cricket Board (ECB) on Friday confirmed that the pacer will begin full training with Sussex next week, with an aim to play in the County Championship in mid-May. Notably, Jofra Archer left the India tour midway for the surgery of his right hand.
ECB will continue to monitor Archer's progress
"Archer returned to bowling this week with higher intensity, and the ECB and Sussex medical teams will continue to monitor his progress. Archer will now step up his training regime starting next week and will be in full training with Sussex," ECB said in an official press release.
"It is expected that he will return to cricket in the next fortnight if he can continue to bowl and prepare pain-free. The ECB will confirm which matches he is expected to play in due course," it added.
Ben Stokes had been ruled out earlier
The news comes as a huge blow to the Rajasthan Royals who had earlier lost Ben Stokes to a finger injury. In the absence of their key players, RR are struggling to find the right balance and have just one win in four matches so far. However, with a new captain Sanju Samson at the helm and with a new Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara at his aid, the Men in Pink would be eager to stage a strong comeback in the competition. The team will take on Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday who are also struggling to get the desired results and have two points after four matches.