The mystery surrounding Jofra Archer’s sudden departure from the Rajasthan Royals team during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season has finally been solved. Mumbai Indians confirmed on Saturday that Archer had in fact traveled to Belgium for a “minor surgery”. The timing of the visit and surgery, however, remains unclear.
Mark Boucher, the coach of Mumbai Indians, admitted to the news, saying that Archer did visit Belgium for surgery, but he was not sure when it happened. “I have things to look after,” he said. Archer had earlier criticized the media for reporting on the matter without his consent.
The reports had initially surfaced about the English pacer’s brief visit to Belgium for an elbow surgery, which had left the cricketing world in shock. Archer’s absence from the IPL tournament has also been a big blow to the Rajasthan Royals, who are struggling to find their footing in the tournament.
The confirmation of Archer’s surgery now puts to rest all the speculation surrounding his absence from the tournament. While it is still not clear when he will return to the game, the Rajasthan Royals team will be hoping to have their star pacer back in action soon to help them turn around their fortunes in the tournament.
“Putting out an article without knowing the facts & without my consent is crazy. Whoever the reporter is, shame on you, an already worrying and troubling time for a player and you exploit it for your personal gain, it’s people like you that are the problem (sic),” Archer had earlier said in a social media post.
