The threat of a three-year ban from the lucrative Indian Premier League means Jofra Archer will appear in this weekend’s auction, potentially complicating England’s plans to nurse him back to Test cricket.

Archer was not initially on the 574-strong shortlist for the 2025 IPL auction, which takes place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Sunday as the player and England, with whom he holds a central contract, sought to clarify new league rules.

In a bid to gain greater control by preventing players withdrawing at the 11th hour if they are unhappy with what they are sold for at auction or picking and choosing which season they played, the IPL introduced a series of ban threats. Players who have played in the competition before – like Archer – would be banned if they did not register for this year’s auction if fit. They would also be banned if they pulled out at the last minute, if fit.

This left England and Archer in an unenviable position of denying him three years’ earning potential at the IPL – potentially as much as $5 million (£3.95 million) – if he did not register this week.

England have been delicately managing Archer’s return to international cricket after a string of serious injuries, including stress fractures of the elbow and back. That has gone well in white-ball cricket this year, with the next natural step being the home Test series against India next summer and the Ashes that follow Down Under .

Hopes of keeping Archer out of IPL

In the months preceding those big series, England had hoped to keep Archer and Mark Wood out of the IPL – and therefore in their control – but the threat of a ban has forced their hand, and Archer is expected to appear on a list of players added to the auction before Sunday.

If he is picked up at auction (which is likely, given his class), England would still have the right to withdraw Archer from the tournament if they have any doubts about his fitness following the Champions Trophy in March. They could withdraw his no-objection certificate, the paperwork a player needs to play in an overseas league.

This year’s is a mega-auction, where teams are only able to retain a small number of players, meaning 204 slots are available at the sale.