BREAKING NEWS: Jofra Archer to miss the remainder of IPL 2023; Chris Jordan replaces him at MI

Mumbai Indians (MI) and England pacer Jofra Archer will head back to England, with his national teammate and good friend Chris Jordan replacing him for the rest of IPL 2023.

The franchise confirmed the development in the form of a statement on their social media handles, stating that Archer, who has picked up just two wickets from five IPL 2023 matches at an economy rate of 9.50, will "return home to focus on his rehabilitation".

While it is unclear if he has picked up another injury, it is worth noting that the superstar seamer was in and out of MI's playing XI this year. Head coach Mark Boucher had confirmed that the speedster flew to Belgium to undergo minor surgery on his elbow after playing a lone game against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), who incidentally happen to be MI's next opponents.

The statement reads:

"Chris Jordan will join the MI squad for the rest of the season. Chris replaces Jofra Archer, whose recovery and fitness continues to be monitored by ECB. Jofra will return home to focus on his rehabilitation."

MI went all out to acquire Archer's services in the mega auction in 2022, despite having the knowledge of his unavailability for that season. Their desire to pair him up with Jasprit Bumrah has gone pear-shaped twice in two years now, with the latter missing out this season owing to back surgery.

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Chris Jordan and Jofra Archer go a long way back

Both Jordan and Archer are based out of Barbados before they eventually went on to ply their trade for England. Having been teammates at Sussex, they share a very good bond. Incidentally, it was Jordan who handed Archer his Test cap when the latter debuted against Australia in the 2nd Ashes Test at Lord's in 2019.

Jordan has been part of the MI camp for IPL 2023 as a net bowler and has been spotted watching their matches from the stands. A recent report emerged of him being signed up by the five-time IPL champions, although it was unclear as to who he had come in for at the time.

It remains to be seen if he walks into the playing XI straightaway for MI's must-win clash against RCB at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday, May 9. With both teams part of a mid-table logjam having secured 10 points from as many games so far, a loss for either of them will land a massive dent to their playoff chances.

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Should Chris Jordan walk into MI's playing XI for their IPL 2023 clash against RCB? Have your say in the comments section below!

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