You just don’t mess with Jofra Archer, be it on the cricket pitch or on Twitter – Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) learnt it the hard way after their defeat to Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2020.
In the KXIP-RR run-fest on Sunday, in which there was a whopping 449-run match aggregate, bowlers understandably had a forgettable day, with only three of the 12 bowlers from either side managing an economy rate of less than 10.
Archer was one of Rajasthan’s most expensive bowlers – he conceded 46 runs off his four overs at the Sharjah venue where boundaries are notoriously short. Only Rahul Tewatia’s one-over spell, which went for 19 runs, was more expensive.
[breakout id=”0″][/breakout]
Open Account Offer. Up to £100 in Bet Credits for new customers at bet365. Min deposit £5. Bet Credits available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. The bonus code WISDEN can be used during registration, but does not change the offer amount in any way.
With 223 runs in the bag at the end of 20 overs, KXIP must have fancied themselves to defend the total – the KXIP handle went as far as digging up an Archer tweet from September 17, quote-tweeting it with “4-0-46-0: You don’t see something like this from someone like Jofra so often.”
4⃣-0⃣-4⃣6⃣-0⃣
You don't see something like this from someone like Jofra so often 🎁#SaddaPunjab #IPL2020 #RRvKXIP #KXIP https://t.co/zXX2znIBG7
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) September 27, 2020
However, just like several takes on Twitter, KXIP’s dig at Archer didn’t age well. A stunning counter-attack by Tewatia brought them back into the game – after which Archer, the batsman, wrapped things up.
While he is yet to completely hit the strides with the ball, Archer has been remarkable with the bat down the order – he’s hit six out of the 11 deliveries he’s faced in IPL 2020 for sixes. Two out of those came in Rajasthan’s incredible win, where he ended unbeaten on a 3-ball 13.
After the game, Archer took to Twitter to remind Punjab who ended up on the winning side eventually.
Well this aged well 🥴 https://t.co/EURMFteRk3
— Jofra Archer (@JofraArcher) September 27, 2020
There’s really only one king on Twitter.