Fast bowler Jofra Archer has been included in the Sussex team for a County Championship 2025 Division One match against hosts Durham on Sunday, marking his return to first-class cricket after four years.
The 30-year-old fast bowler, who plays for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, was not part of Sussex’s originally announced squad but was a late addition ahead of the four-day red-ball fixture at the Seat Unique Riverside Stadium in Durham.
Jofra Archer is expected to bowl later in the County Championship match against Durham after Sussex opted to bat first having won the toss.
Archer was not originally part of the 12-player travelling squad for the match but travelled to Chester-le-Street later.
Jofra Archer last played a first-class match for Sussex against Kent in May 2021 and has not featured in a Test since February 2021, when he faced India in Ahmedabad. Persistent injuries to his elbow and back have kept him out of red-ball action since.
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If he remains injury-free, Archer could be considered for the second England vs India Test match at Edgbaston, starting July 2.
Archer has taken 42 wickets in 13 Tests at an average of 31.04, including two six-wicket hauls during the 2019 Ashes.
Against India, he has picked up four wickets in two Tests. In first-class cricket, Archer boasts 181 wickets from 43 matches at an average of 24.91.
The England speedster had a steady run in IPL 2025, playing 12 matches for the Royals and picking up 11 wickets. He was also one of the fastest bowlers in IPL 2025, clocking 152.3 kmph against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad.
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel, both of whom represent Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, are in the Indian squad for their five-match England tour.
