ESPNcricinfo understands that Archer and his representatives have been in talks with the ECB and the BCCI this week, seeking clarification on the repercussions should he not be part of the shortlist. Archer has a central contract with the ECB which runs until the end of September, giving them an element of control over their workload.
Spending April and May in the IPL would make it much more difficult for Archer, ruling out the possibility of him playing for Sussex in the early stages of the County Championship season. The ECB prevented Archer from participating in last year’s auction to prevent him from returning from injury, but doing so this year would have left him unable to play in the tournament until 2027 at the earliest.
The IPL has introduced new regulations for this auction cycle, stipulating that players who have previously appeared in the league but do not register for a mega auction will not be able to register for the subsequent mini auction. A separate regulation says a player who is signed at an auction and then withdraws without a legitimate reason will face a two-year suspension.
Archer, 29, returned to action this summer after a long injury layoff, featuring in England’s white-ball series against Pakistan, Australia and the West Indies, as well as the T20 World Cup. His workload was closely monitored by medical staff throughout, but he was able to play all three ODIs in the Caribbean earlier this month.
In the 2022 mega auction, Mumbai Indians spent Rs 8 million (then approximately $1.06 million) on Archer, even though he had just undergone elbow surgery and was not fit to play that season. He played five matches for MI in 2023, taking two wickets, before his season ended prematurely due to another elbow problem.
Archer was named MVP in his most recent full IPL season, taking 20 wickets for the Rajasthan Royals in the 2020 edition held in the United Arab Emirates. In total, he has taken 48 wickets in 40 appearances in his IPL career.
