England fast bowler Jofra Archer was signed by Mumbai Indians (MI) for INR 8 crore at the Indian Premier League (IPL 2022) mega-auction in Bengaluru on February 13. He was part of the accelerated auction round in which franchises had given a list of players they are interested in.

Archer, after being signed by MI, said that he is excited to join the franchise and they are really close to his heart. He revealed that Mumbai is one of the franchises he always liked to play for.

The speedster was part of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the previous seasons. RR had also bid for him, along with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) making a late entry. But Mumbai eventually made the winning bid.

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“I am super excited to be joining the Mumbai Indians. It has been a franchise that was really close to my heart and I always wanted to play for them as long as I could have remembered watching IPL cricket,” he said.

“I am so glad that I have finally got the opportunity to represent such an amazing franchise. I am also going to get a chance to play with some of the biggest stars in the world. So I am really looking forward to starting a new chapter. See you guys soon.”

Archer, who had listed his base price at INR 2 crore, is unlikely to play the IPL 2022 due to his elbow surgery. The franchises had the prior information that he will be available in 2023 and 2024.

Earlier MI owner Akash Ambani had said, “Of course, he (Archer) is not available this year but when he is fit and available, I believe that with (Jasprit Bumrah) he will make a formidable partnership."

(With PTI Inputs)