“There’s no point paying even one rupee to him,” Sunil Gavaskar tears apart Jofra Archer for leaving IPL midway

Gavaskar did not mince his words while questioning the 28-year-old's commitment to the Mumbai-based franchise.

“There’s no point paying even one rupee to him,” Sunil Gavaskar tears apart Jofra Archer for leaving IPL midway

Sunil Gavaskar, Jofra Archer

Mumbai Indians‘ (MI) star pacer Jofra Archer, who was signed by the franchise for INR 8 crore, opted to fly back to England even before the team’s campaign came to an end in the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). This season, he has played just five games, scalping two wickets.

The five-time champions are having a mixed IPL season this year. Though their batters have been impressive, as they chased down three 200-plus targets this year, their bowling department lack experience, except for Piyush Chawla.

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Star pacer Jasprit Bumrah is not playing as he is recuperating from a back stress fracture. He and Jofra Archer were expected to form a deadly pair but Archer, who missed the entire season last year, struggled with injuries this time also, before returning to England.

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Sunil Gavaskar questions Jofra Archer’s commitment to MI

"There's no point paying even one rupee to him," Sunil Gavaskar tears apart Jofra Archer for leaving IPL midway
Jofra Archer

When MI informed the same about Archer, it did not go down well with the IPL fans, nor did it with the legendary Sunil Gavaskar. Gavaskar did not mince his words while questioning the 28-year-old’s commitment to the Mumbai-based franchise. Gavaskar said that if Archer did not feel 100 percent fit, he should have informed the franchise.

“What has been Mumbai Indians’ experience of Jofra Archer? They took a punt on him, knowing that he was injured and would be available only this season. They paid a lot of money for him, and what has he given in return?” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-Day.

“There’s simply no point paying even one rupee for a player, however big a name he may be if he is not going to be available for the entire tournament. Full marks to him if he chooses country over IPL, but if he chooses IPL, then he has to fulfill his commitments totally and not make some excuses and leave early, especially towards the time when qualifying for the Playoffs becomes crucial,” Gavaskar added.

MI are currently in the race to qualify for the playoffs. They stand at No.5 in the points table with 14 points from 13 matches. If they register a win over the Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last league match, and Lucknow Super Giants, Chennai Super Kings, and Royal Challengers Bangalore lose their matches, MI’s road to the playoffs will be without any hindrance.

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