IPL 2026: Archer three wickets away from becoming RR's top wicket-taker
Lucknow, April 22
Rajasthan Royals pacer Jofra Archer is just three wickets away from dethroning Australian legend Shane Watson to be the leading wicket-taker in the franchise's history.
Archer, who has been great for the Royals' this season in the power play, could achieve this milestone during his side's match against a highly-vulnerable Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at Lucknow's Ekana Stadium.
Since his IPL debut in 2018, Archer has represented the Men in Pink in five out of six seasons, playing one season for the Mumbai Indians (MI), where he failed to deliver.
In 53 matches for RR, Archer has taken 65 wickets at an average of 24.47, with best figures of 3/15 and an economy rate of 7.79. This season, he has taken eight wickets in six matches at an average of 22.37, with an economy rate of 8.52 and best figures of 2/19.
The top wicket-taker for RR is Watson, who took 67 wickets in 84 matches at an average of 27.83, with best figures of 3/10, wearing the Pink colours from 2008-15. He is followed by spinner Yuzi Chahal (66 scalps in 46 matches at an average of 22.80 from 2022-24) and Siddharth Trivedi (65 wickets in 76 matches at an average of 29.29, with a four-fer, from 2008-13).
In 16 T20s this year, Archer has been really good, taking 21 wickets at an average of 25.19, with best figures of 2/19. He was England's second-highest wicket-taker during the T20 World Cup this year, with 11 scalps in eight matches at an average of 26.00 and best figures of 2/20.
Squads: Rajasthan Royals Squad: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel(w), Riyan Parag(c), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, Sandeep Sharma, Shubham Dubey, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Ravi Singh, Yash Raj Punja, Adam Milne, Dasun Shanaka, Tushar Deshpande, Kuldeep Sen, Sushant Mishra, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Kwena Maphaka, Vignesh Puthur, Aman Rao Perala Lucknow Super Giants Squad: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Mukul Choudhary, Mohammed Shami, Avesh Khan, Prince Yadav, Manimaran Siddharth, Mohsin Khan, Abdul Samad, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Matthew Breetzke, Mayank Yadav, Himmat Singh, George Linde, Josh Inglis, Anrich Nortje, Arjun Tendulkar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Akash Maharaj Singh, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Arshin Kulkarni, Naman Tiwari.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Let's not forget Yuzi Chahal only played 3 seasons for RR and still took 66 wickets at an average under 23. Archer is quality but comparing across eras is tricky. That said, if he stays fit, he could be RR's best ever pacer. Hope the Ekana pitch has something for the bowlers tonight.
Interesting stat but I'm more concerned about RR's batting depth. Jadeja at 7 and then Archer at 8 looks good on paper but we've seen collapses. Also, LSG's bowling with Shami and Avesh could trouble us. Let's see if Archer delivers with the ball first! 🏏
Archer's comeback after those injury struggles has been remarkable. He's bowling 150+ consistently and that yorker is lethal. RR management deserves credit for backing him after the MI stint didn't work out. Three wickets away from history - exciting times for Royals fans! 🇮🇳🔥
The real unsung hero here is Siddharth Trivedi - 65 wickets for RR in 76 matches back in the early days when the franchise was finding its feet. Archer is brilliant but let's not forget the contributions of players who built the team's legacy. Good to see the franchise thriving now.
As an LSG fan, I'm not looking forward to facing Archer tonight 😅. He's been a nightmare for teams in the powerplay. But our top order with Markram, Marsh and Pant is solid. If we see off his first two overs, we can target the others. Should
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