Table of Contents
Jofra Archer has revealed that KL Rahul is the toughest batter he has bowled to in the IPL, placing the India wicketkeeper-batter ahead of some of the biggest names in world cricket.
The England fast bowler made the admission during a recent appearance on The Super Over podcast, where he reflected on the most challenging opponents of his career.
Jofra Archer picks KL Rahul over Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma as toughest IPL opponent
Speaking on The Super Over podcast, Archer explained why Rahul stood out among the many elite batters he has faced.
Jofra Archer has bowled against the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, AB de Villiers and Jos Buttler in franchise cricket, but it was KL Rahul who left the biggest impression on him. The England pacer credited KL Rahul’s ability to play every type of delivery and score all around the ground during the peak years of his IPL career.
“Probably in my first few years in the IPL, I found KL, really hard to bowl at. I reckon, he was in his prime back then. I just felt, he could hit, any ball, anywhere to be honest. And he actually did,” Archer said.
KL Rahul has established himself as one of the most technically complete batters in Indian cricket, and Archer’s comments further underline the respect he enjoys among opposition bowlers.
Why Jofra Archer named KL Rahul his toughest IPL opponent – Stats breakdown
The numbers help explain Jofra Archer’s admiration for Rahul. In IPL, Rahul has scored 108 runs off just 73 balls against Archer at a blistering strike rate of 147.9. He has been dismissed only twice while smashing 13 fours and four sixes. Those figures translate into an average of 54.00 against one of the fastest bowlers in world cricket.
| Format | Runs | Balls | Outs | Strike Rate | Average |
|---|
In Test cricket, Archer has been unable to dismiss Rahul despite bowling 136 deliveries to him. Rahul has accumulated 50 runs without losing his wicket, highlighting his solid defensive technique against the England quick.
| Format | Runs | Balls | Outs | Strike Rate |
The two have also faced each other once in T20 internationals, where Rahul scored six runs from 10 balls before being dismissed.
Overall, the head-to-head record shows Rahul has consistently managed to neutralize Archer’s pace and aggression, particularly in franchise cricket.
| Format | Runs | Balls | Outs | Strike Rate |
Jofra Archer failed to help England beat New Zealand in 2nd Test
Archer’s latest outing for England ended in disappointment as New Zealand defeated the hosts by 253 runs in the second Test at The Oval.
The fast bowler picked up two wickets for 61 runs in New Zealand’s first innings before returning figures of three for 62 in the second innings. While Archer finished with five wickets in the match, he was unable to prevent New Zealand from posting scores of 391 and 362.
England replied with 291 in the first innings and were then bowled out for 209 while chasing a daunting target of 463. Matt Henry starred with the ball for New Zealand and was named Player of the Match as the visitors levelled the three-match series 1-1.
Jofra Archer’s match figures read:
| Innings | Figures |
| New Zealand 1st innings | 2/61 |
| New Zealand 2nd innings | 3/62 |
| Match Figures | 5/123 |
KL Rahul performs decently in home series against Afghanistan
Rahul recently enjoyed a productive series against Afghanistan across formats. The right-handed batter registered a magnificent century in the one-off Test, scoring 100 runs and helping India secure a dominant victory. He then followed it up with an unbeaten 39 in the first ODI before enduring a rare failure in the second match of the series.
Despite the duck in the second ODI, KL Rahul finished the Afghanistan assignment with useful contributions and once again demonstrated his value across formats. His ability to adapt to different match situations continues to make him a key member of India’s batting unit ahead of the England tour.
Recent matches of KL Rahul:
| Match | Score | Format |
| vs Afghanistan | 0 | ODI |
| vs Afghanistan | 39* | ODI |
| vs Afghanistan | 100 | Test |
