Neither Virat Kohli Nor Rohit Sharma; Jofra Archer Reveals Toughest Indian Opponent

Virat Kohli and Jofra Archer [Source: AFP]

In a recent revelation, England-based sensation Jofra Archer revealed the toughest Indian batter he has ever bowled to. Surprisingly, that was not a household name that Indian fans would normally predict. 

Jofra Archer ignored Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, to name another Indian premier batter who had him troubled during their early IPL years. 

Jofra, who had a solid IPL 2026 season with the ball, is known to be one of the most lethal bowlers in the world because of his searing pace and tight line and length. Yet, there has been one Man in Blue who gave much trouble to the English pace express.

Jofra Archer Lauds Nemesis Amid England Tests

Currently playing the New Zealand versus England Test series at home, Archer had a very successful season for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026. The 31-year-old picked 25 wickets from 16 matches while bowling at an economy rate of 9.32. 

He had three three-wicket hauls against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, and Lucknow Super Giants and produced formidable bowling to bamboozle batters at the crease. 

Archer broke multiple records this season with his fiery bowling. Speaking on a podcast during the New Zealand versus England Test series, Archer revealed that KL Rahul has been the most dangerous batter he's ever faced while bowling to an Indian batter during his early IPL days.

Jofra Archer Names KL Rahul As Most Difficult Indian Batter To Bowl To

Although Archer had a fair share of battles with Indian key players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, serving KL Rahul as his most difficult Indian opponent wasn't a surprise if the facts are laid out. 

Interestingly, in the IPL, KL Rahul has successfully batted at a strike rate of 137.34 against Archer, scoring 114 runs from 83 deliveries, and out of all these encounters, Archer has managed to dismiss Rahul only three times. 

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However, it is to be noted that Archer mentioned he faced trouble handling KL Rahul during his early IPL days and is not currently speaking of the present day.

"Probably in my first few years of IPL, KL was really hard to bowl at. I reckon he was in his prime then. And I just felt like he could hit any ball anywhere, to be honest. And he actually did," Archer said in the podcast.

Archer vs Kohli and Rohit in IPL

Against Virat Kohli, Archer's record is poor in the IPL. Kohli has scored 120 runs from 86 deliveries against Archer, and the bowler managed to get him out only one time. 

Meanwhile, against Rohit Sharma, Archer has been most successful, scalping four wickets while bowling only 40 deliveries to him, as Rohit batted at a strike rate of 90.00 in the IPL.

Nevertheless, Jofra Archer's class has continued in the second Test match against New Zealand, where he bagged a total of five wickets while bowling at an economy rate of 3.42 and managing a strike rate of 43.00. 

The right-arm pacer has been a menace for New Zealand and is currently riding high to finish on top of the records for his country. 

KL Rahul Struggled In AFG ODIs

KL Rahul, meanwhile, failed to impress in the recently concluded Afghanistan vs India ODI series. 

Although in the only Test played, he scored a hundred, in the ODI matches, he managed to rack up 39 runs from 19 deliveries in the first ODI, but in the second ODI, he was out for a golden duck. 

He will be looking forward to the England ODIs to redeem himself in the 50-over game and get back in the good books of the management soon.

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