Jofra Archer’s Nightmare Spell Makes IPL History
The 2025 IPL opener between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad turned into a night Jofra Archer will want to forget. The English pace ace, thrust into the Royals’ roster at the 11th hour after finally ironing out his contract kinks with the England and Wales Cricket Board, ended up setting a record for all the wrong reasons. Archer leaked a staggering 76 runs in his 4 overs, surpassing every previous record for the most expensive spell in the league’s history.
This wasn’t the way Archer pictured his first IPL game in years. After taking a pay cut to resolve English central contract issues, he was back in the Rajasthan colors—and thrust into a match where Sunrisers’ batters were ready to feast. His figures shattered Mohit Sharma’s previous record of 73 runs conceded in 2024, and Basil Thampi’s 70 from 2018, both of which seemed shocking at the time but now pale beside Archer’s new high-water mark.
Sunrisers Hyderabad Batters Go On the Attack
From ball one, the Sunrisers set the tone. Travis Head, opening for SRH, took Archer apart in his very first over, smashing 23 runs that included four boundaries and a towering six. The pressure only mounted from there, with the Hyderabad lineup refusing to take their foot off the gas. Ishan Kishan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Heinrich Klaasen all joined the parade, piling on six more fours and three sixes as Archer’s figures ballooned.
It was an all-out assault that left no room for Archer to recover. By the time Head and company were done, Archer’s confidence looked as battered as his bowling figures. The Royals scrambled for answers, but Hyderabad’s approach was simple: take on the big-name pace bowler, keep the scoreboard ticking violently, and sap any hopes of a Rajasthan comeback before the chase could get going.
The crowd’s reaction said it all—cheers for every boundary, gasps after every expensive over, and the kind of restless excitement that only comes when something historic, if a bit cruel, is unfolding right in front of thousands of fans.
For Archer, known for his blistering pace and big-match temperament, this spell marks a stinging setback. His position at the top of the most expensive bowling list is surely not the record he’d hoped to own, but it does show just how unforgiving the T20 format can be, even for world-class fast bowlers.
The 2025 IPL season hasn’t wasted any time in delivering drama, and you can bet Archer’s record-smashed spell will be debated for weeks—by commentators, coaches, and fans alike.