Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium was buzzing on April 13, a cauldron of pink jerseys and roaring fans under a merciless afternoon sun. Rajasthan Royals’ Jofra Archer, the Barbados-born speed demon, tore through the IPL 2025 script with a delivery that hit 149.8 km/h, rattling Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s batsmen and reminding everyone why he’s a headline-grabber. The pace was no fluke—it was Archer at his raw, blistering best, slinging thunderbolts in a match that saw RCB chase down RR’s total with a clinical nine-wicket win.
Archer, back with Rajasthan Royals after a Rs 12.50 crore auction steal, had been under scrutiny. His IPL 2025 kicked off with a nightmare—76 runs leaked in four overs against Sunrisers Hyderabad, the priciest spell in the tournament’s history. But the 30-year-old Englishman, no stranger to bouncing back, showed his mettle against RCB. Opening the bowling, he unleashed a searing inswinger at Phil Salt, clocking just shy of 150 km/h. The ball, a vicious dart, jagged back to thump Salt’s pads, sparking a heated DRS call that left RR’s dugout holding its breath. Salt survived, but Archer’s intent was clear: he was here to burn rubber.
The speed gun lit up again in his second over, with deliveries consistently breaching 145 km/h. One screamer, a 149.8 km/h rocket, had Salt ducking and weaving, the ball fizzing past his shoulder for a six off the bat’s edge. Archer’s rhythm was electric, his run-up smooth as silk, each stride a warning shot. Despite the hostility, RCB’s openers—Salt with a brutal 65 and Virat Kohli’s steady half-century—kept their cool, chasing RR’s modest total with 15 balls to spare. Archer’s figures? A respectable 0/30, but the real story was his pace, a throwback to his 2019 Ashes heroics when he rattled Australia’s best.
This wasn’t Archer’s first speed show in IPL 2025. Just days earlier, on April 9, he’d shattered Shubman Gill’s stumps with a 152.3 km/h jaffa against Gujarat Titans, the second-fastest ball of the season. His three-wicket haul against Punjab Kings on April 5, including a 151 km/h scorcher, earned him Player of the Match. Injuries have dogged him—stress fractures, surgeries, and a year-long IPL absence in 2024—but Archer’s return is a statement. Rajasthan, sitting mid-table with four points, lean heavily on their star pacer to turn their campaign around.
The match itself was a one-sided affair. RR’s batting crumbled, unable to forge partnerships, while RCB’s chase was a masterclass in precision. Yet, for the Jaipur crowd, Archer’s fiery spell was the pulse of the day, a reminder of cricket’s raw thrill when a bowler hits top gear. He’s not just back—he’s bowling like the wind.
Archer has played 45 IPL matches, taking 53 wickets at an average of 25.43. His fastest recorded delivery in IPL 2025 is 152.3 km/h. RCB’s win moved them to third in the standings with eight points. RR’s next match is against Delhi Capitals on April 16.