Jofra Archer’s Nightmare Return as SRH Crush RR with Second-Highest IPL Total

Archer concedes record 76 runs in four overs as Ishan Kishan’s explosive century and SRH’s brutal batting onslaught power them to a 44-run win over Rajasthan Royals.

Hyderabad, March 23:
England pacer Jofra Archer’s long-awaited return to the IPL turned into a record-breaking nightmare as he registered the most expensive bowling spell in IPL history, conceding 76 runs in four overs without taking a wicket. His dismal outing coincided with a dominant batting display from Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), who posted a mammoth 286/6—the second-highest team total in IPL history—against Rajasthan Royals (RR).

RR had won the toss and opted to field, only to watch SRH’s top order unleash havoc. A brisk 45-run opening stand between Abhishek Sharma (24 off 11) and Travis Head (67 off 31) set the tone early on. The left-right duo tormented RR bowlers with aggressive strokeplay, with Head smashing four boundaries and a six in Archer’s first over.

The real carnage began when Ishan Kishan, on his SRH debut, took charge. After Head’s dismissal, Kishan dominated with a blistering 106 off 47 balls*, striking 11 fours and 6 sixes. He shared an 85-run partnership with Head and then continued the assault alongside Heinrich Klaasen (34 off 14) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (30 off 15).

Archer, returning from injury, had a horror spell:

• 1st Over – 23 runs
• 2nd Over – 12 runs
• 3rd Over – 22 runs (including three sixes by Kishan)
• 4th Over – 19 runs, including a beamer and multiple boundaries

As per Cricviz (via Wisden), Archer currently holds the worst T20 bowling impact (-6.4) among all bowlers with at least 300 deliveries since the start of The Hundred in 2023.

In the run chase, Rajasthan Royals were reduced to 24/2, but a fighting 111-run stand between Sanju Samson (66 off 37) and Dhruv Jurel (70 off 35) gave them some hope. A late surge by Shimron Hetmyer (42 off 23)* and Shubham Dubey (34 off 11)* saw RR post 242/6, falling short by 44 runs.

On the bowling front, Harshal Patel (2/34) and Simarjeet Singh (2/46) led the attack for SRH, while Mohammed Shami picked one wicket. Ishan Kishan was named Player of the Match for his scintillating century.