Jofra Archer has reportedly injured his thumb and will now miss the entire ODI series against the West Indies. He has been replaced by Luke Wood in the squad.
Archer, who was with the Rajasthan Royals over the past few weeks, returned to England following the suspension of IPL 2025. He did not feature in the remaining matches for the Royals. Although he was present during net sessions, he missed key matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Initially, it was reported that Archer had suffered a viral infection and was hospitalized. However, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has now confirmed that the pacer is out of the ODI series due to a right thumb injury. His return to action will be assessed in due course.
"England Men's and Sussex pace bowler Jofra Archer has been ruled out of the Metro Bank ODI series against the West Indies due to a right thumb injury. He will be reassessed by the England medical team over the next fortnight to determine when he may return to action," the ECB stated.
Luke Wood names as Replacement
Luke Wood has been named as Archer’s replacement. England will host West Indies for a three-match T20I series and a three-match ODI series, scheduled from May 29 to June 29. West Indies have named a new squad with a new captain for the tour, while England will be aiming to kick off their international summer with a strong start.
Also Read: England Announce Squads For West Indies ODIs, T20Is - Buttler, Salt, Bethell Included
Archer’s career has been frequently interrupted by injuries since his debut for England. Despite being regarded as one of England’s brightest fast-bowling prospects, he has missed a significant number of matches due to recurring fitness issues.
Jofra Archer was picked by the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. Though he had a slow start, he managed to deliver some consistent performances toward the latter half of the season. He played 12 matches and picked up 11 wickets for RR. Royals ended their IPL 2025 campaign on a high note, defeating Chennai Super Kings by 6 wickets in their most recent encounter.
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