Courtesy: ECB
Jofra Archer, the England fast bowler, has made himself fully available for the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) 2025-26 draft despite having plans to play in the Ashes against Australia down under at the same time. The 30-year-old is currently nursing a thumb injury sustained during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign with Rajasthan Royals (RR), which was quite a decent one for him with the ball in hand despite his team’s dismal performances.
While Rajasthan Royals finished in ninth place in the 10-team IPL, Jofra Archer was the rare shining light for them, bowling express pace and taking 11 wickets in 12 matches at an economy of 9.47 despite getting pummelling for 0/76(4), the most expensive spell in history at the start of the 2025 season. Although the time of Jofra Archer with RR came to an abrupt end due to a freak injury, he proved his fitness with the team after having a stop-start career in the last four years because of multiple injuries.
Jofra Archer has taken 34 wickets in 27 BBL matches for Hobart Hurricanes
It has led to the Barbados-born cricketer entering his name in the BBL 2025-26 draft, while making himself fully available for the tournament unlike some of his compatriots Ollie Pope and Jacob Bethell. During his previous years in the BBL, he played for Hobart Hurricanes in the 2017 and 2018 seasons, taking 34 wickets for them in 27 matches at an average of 23.26 and an economy of 7.72.
The BBL 2025-26 will conclude just a few weeks before the start of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka in February, giving some of the participating English players the chance to impress the selectors to make the sub-continent trip. As per the report from BBC Sport, apart from Jofra Archer, Ollie Pope, and Jacob Bethell, the likes of Jordan Cox, Liam Dawson, Jason Roy, Reece Topley, and Luke Wood are also in the BBL draft for the next season.
Before this aforementioned tournament, Jofra Archer is expected to get fit for the latter stages of the five-match Test series against India at home this summer.
