Jofra Archer hopes to be fit for Indian Premier League latter stages

Jofra Archer hopes to be fit for the latter stages of the Indian Premier League despite being forced out of England’s one-day series in India through injury.

Archer, 25, will return to the UK to have his troublesome elbow problem treated but will avoid surgery and is therefore targeting a return to playing at the IPL, the competition at which he was named most valuable player last year.

The Sussex fast bowler has been troubled throughout the tour by the problem and was ruled out of the final Test earlier this month after he suffered pain in the build-up.

England’s Jofra Archer is likely to pull out of his £800,000 IPL deal with Rajasthan Royals

The decision over whether to rest his chronic elbow injury will be made in the coming days

ECB medical staff believe he needs to have the discomfort addressed after recognising a deterioration in the joint during the five-match Twenty20 series.

Ashley Giles, England’s managing director, was informed on Friday that he would not be fit enough to get through the trio of ODIs in Pune next week and it is understood he is to return to the UK and undergo a combination of injections and rest.

That will take him beyond the April 9 IPL start date but he may feature for Rajasthan Royals later in the tournament dependent on how he responds.

The fast-paced bowler is desperate to maintain his fitness for both the World Cup and Ashes

His withdrawal would be a big loss, given he was the IPL’s player of the tournament in 2020

As a centrally-contracted player, the ECB control his schedule but the full English contingent have been told that they can play all the way until the final on May 30 if their franchises make it through.

Sportsmail revealed on Friday that a decision on Archer’s participation for the final week of this current tour would be taken after today’s final match in Ahmedabad.

Expert opinion is that his fitness is not improving and they are clearly taking no chances in a year that ends with a Twenty20 World Cup and Ashes double.