Sandeep Praises Archer's Unique Bowling Skills Ahead of IPL 2025

New Chandigarh(The Uttam Hindu): After Rajasthan Royals' commanding 50-run win over Punjab Kings in IPL 2025, experienced pacer Sandeep Sharma commended Jofra Archer for his impressive performance, claiming figures of 3-25. Sandeep highlighted that Archer’s distinct bowling abilities set him apart from others in the game. In his previous matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders, Archer had given away 76 and 33 runs respectively without taking a wicket. However, he delivered a game-changing performance against PBKS, dismissing Priyansh Arya and Shreyas Iyer in the opening over of the chase and later removing Arshdeep Singh to ensure RR’s victory.

Sandeep said, "In the first two matches, there are nerves, but we always knew Archer was world-class. The skill he brings to the game is unique, and very few players possess that level. The team management had confidence that once he had one good over or took one wicket, his confidence would rise." He added, "Archer is one of the most challenging bowlers to face. This was just our fourth game, and as we play more, he'll only improve. Earlier, when Archer was conceding runs, his lengths were off; now, they’re different. That’s what champions do—they adapt and adjust quickly to the situation, and that’s exactly what he did." Sandeep himself posted figures of 2-21 in his four overs as RR successfully defended 205. His key performance included outwitting Suryansh Shedge and Shashank Singh with his slower balls and yorkers. Sandeep explained how insights from the RR batters about the pitch helped him adjust his plans effectively.

"Since we bowled in the second innings, we were able to get valuable feedback from our batters, which proved to be extremely helpful. Our plan was to bowl back of a length, targeting the top of off-stump, as it was difficult to hit," Sandeep said. "Our spinners also followed a similar strategy. We observed the pitch while batting and quickly adapted, reading it better than the opposition." He continued, "During the timeout, we took advice from our batters on what shots were difficult to play and which deliveries were harder to hit for boundaries. We focused on avoiding those kinds of balls, given the conditions." Rajasthan Royals, led by Sanju Samson, will next face Gujarat Titans, captained by Shubman Gill, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.