Jofra Archer: A fair investment by Mumbai Indians?

They are lacking rhythm, but the main reason for their loss is an inexperienced bowling line-up; the team only has one good pacer in the form of Jasprit Bumrah. 

The main reason for their loss is the unavailability of Jofra Archer. The franchise bought him for a whopping INR 8 crore despite knowing that he won't be available this season and the team won't be allowed to have any replacement in his place. They are facing the consequences for the same right now, but a question arises: Is it a fair investment from the team that grooms talent? Let's discuss it in detail.

What happened in the auction

When Jofra Archer's name came up for grabs, Mumbai Indians made the first significant buy of the day. The MI table became engrossed in a bidding war, first with Rajasthan Royals and then with Sunrisers Hyderabad. In the blink of an eye, the pacer went from a base price of INR 2 crore to a five-crore club. As SRH approached INR 7 crore, they had no choice but to step back as Mumbai Indians kept bidding for him relentlessly. The five-time IPL champions finally bagged the pacer for INR 8 crore.

While speaking to the broadcaster of the IPL 2022 auction in an interview, "Akash Ambani said, "Jofra has been a player Mahela (Jayawardene) gave his first professional debut too. So happy to have got him. So happy to have Jof and Boom making a lethal bowling attack, although next year." He further added, "If someone said to me that Mumbai Indians will walk out with Ishan Kishan and Jofra Archer after the auction, I wouldn't have believed it."

It was not a big amount compared to the variation that the England pacer has to offer to the team. However, it was still a shocking decision given Jofra Archer's injury situation. Archer's elbow has been bothering him for the past year, following which he had to undergo surgery. Thus, he has been ruled out from the game this year with no signs of recovery.

Reason for spending a significant amount on Jofra Archer:

The England pacer is known for match-winning performances and has shown what he is capable of both in the Indian Premier League and in international cricket. He was one of the most valuable players for England when they won the world cup in 2019. Jofra's four overs are a nightmare for a batter, and the team he plays for is assured that he won't go for many runs. This offers the team a good bowling option that will consistently deliver in power plays and death overs.

Jofra Archer, who is anticipated to return to full fitness in the coming months, will be a valuable addition to the squad, sharing the new ball and death overs with Jasprit Bumrah. Mumbai Indians went for Archer because they knew how much destruction the deadly duo of Bumrah- Archer could cause to the opposition. It was a dream come true moment for blue paltan as after the return of Jofra Archer in IPL 2023, Rohit Sharma will have many bowling options to choose from. A threatening eight-overs spell of two pace batteries would prove to be a game-changer for the franchise in many of its upcoming matches. 

It was a good investment for Mumbai Indians as the franchise always buys players keeping in mind both the present and future. They know that Jofra Archer will eventually turn out to be a match-winner for their franchise, and Mumbai Indians, at least under normal circumstances, won't release Jofra before the next mega auction (if any in the future).