Jofra Archer has said that he would like to perform out of his comfort zone, very similar to how Cristiano Ronaldo shut critics when he left the Premier League the first time.
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Jofra Archer was the ultimate gun-pacer for Rajasthan Royals when they made a comeback after two years in IPL 2018. Combining his pace as well as variations, Archer was the X-factor as Rajasthan Royals made a strong comeback. However, frequent injuries in the last couple of seasons saw Jofra Archer’s participation reduce in international cricket and in the IPL. However, in the IPL 2022 Mega Auction, Archer was bought for a whopping Rs 8 crore by Mumbai Indians.
Despite undergoing an elbow surgery that might rule him out for the whole tournament, Mumbai Indians showed faith in Jofra Archer. His combination with Jasprit Bumrah in the powerplay or death overs is likely to give batsmen nightmares. Both bowlers are masters of nailing the yorkers at any point in time. The additional pace of both Archer and Bumrah could trouble even the best of batsmen.
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Speaking to the Mumbai Indians website, Jofra Archer has said the change of franchise is good for his career. He will be able to do a lot more outside of his comfort zone. He has cited Cristiano Ronaldo, the football phenom in the world as an example. “The change of environment is good because you then get to challenge yourself. It is all right to perform in your comfort zone but when you actually go away and start performing in a different team, in a different setting, only then can you probably start rating yourself. It is like when Cristiano Ronaldo first left England, people said he may not be good outside but then he has performed and done it wherever he has gone. No one can ever question his skill now, it is pretty much the same concept,” Archer said.
The five-time IPL champions have dominated the tournament unlike any other team in the world. The core group of players has also remained intact. Rohit Sharma has been with the side for close to a decade. Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah, and Kieron Pollard have only played for the Mumbai Indians. Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan are been groomed as the future for Mumbai Indians. Archer says this kind of environment is always good for a player coming in.
“MI looks very close-knit and family-oriented and such teams always do well. That’s why it is no surprise that we have won five titles. Polly’s been there 10 years, Malinga was there a long time, the same with Rohit too. These things make you feel safe when you come into the team as a new player. I am really excited to get started with MI – it is a great franchise. Mahela Jayawardene was one of my first coaches, we have the likes of Polly – I have played a few games against him, this is probably the first time I will play with him. I am hoping to start winning games and trophies soon,” Archer stated.
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Although he might not play IPL 2022, he is keen to soak up the experience that he might get while bowling with Bumrah. “I think you need to be calm as a fast bowler because you have to know when to step it up and when to tone it down. Being calm allows me to just make better decisions. Bowling also doesn’t really change much according to conditions, you just have to know when and where to use your variations,” Archer said.
