Jofra Archer Sets Unwanted Record in IPL 2025 Opener
No one heads into a new IPL season hoping to walk away with the record for the most expensive bowling figures, but that's exactly how it played out for Jofra Archer on March 23, 2025. Bowling for Rajasthan Royals against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Archer was hammered all over the park, giving up 76 runs from his four overs, and didn’t even manage a single wicket. That number now stands as the costliest spell in IPL history, pushing Mohit Sharma’s infamous 73-run outing from 2024 down to second place. Not exactly the kind of headline any fast bowler wants.
The chaos started almost instantly. With the crowd barely settled in for the season opener, Archer was called on early and faced Travis Head, who had no intentions of easing in. In his very first over, Archer bled 23 runs—Head slammed four boundaries and a massive six. For a pacer who's known for tight lines and making batsmen uncomfortable, the early battering was a true shocker.
Sunrisers’ Batters Run Riot and Rewrite the History Books
If Archer thought things would ease up, SRH’s next batters had other plans. Ishan Kishan, who finished unbeaten on a jaw-dropping 106 off just 47 balls, completely dismantled the Royals’ attack. For Archer, every comeback over turned into another walk into the lion’s den. Heinrich Klaasen also cashed in, piling on the misery. Boundaries and sixes kept flowing, turning Archer’s spell from bad to worse with each delivery.
By the end of the innings, Sunrisers Hyderabad put up a mammoth 286/6, only just falling short of the all-time highest team total in IPL history. That kind of score leaves bowlers hunting for answers—and Archer was top of that list, his once-elite figures now buried under a mountain of runs. The only small consolation? He’s in some elite company: records for worst bowling figures aren’t exactly easy to break.
For fans tracking the numbers, Archer broke Basil Thampi’s 2018 record of 70 runs in an IPL spell and Yash Dayal’s 69 in 2023. As the league keeps evolving, these run-fests are becoming less of a rarity, but conceding 76 in just four overs has set a whole new bar.
What’s almost wild is how quickly Archer’s name popped up in a list that saw Mohammed Shami give away 75 runs in his own four-over spell just weeks later, unsurprising in a season that’s seen batters dictating play. Even so, Archer’s spell stands above all, at least for now.
Despite the batting carnage, Rajasthan Royals still nearly pulled off a miracle chase, finishing 242/6. But a target that giant is nearly impossible to climb without someone in the opposition suffering a nightmare day—and on this one, Archer took the full brunt.
