Jofra Archer Named in England’s T20 World Cup Squad Amid Injury Concerns

England has officially included fast bowler Jofra Archer in its provisional squad of 15 players for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, set to take place in India and Sri Lanka this February. Despite dealing with a left side strain injury sustained during the third Ashes Test in Adelaide, Archer will join the squad under the captaincy of Harry Brook.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, that Archer will continue his rehabilitation with the England medical team. However, he will not participate in the upcoming white-ball series in Sri Lanka starting on January 22, which features three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is).

Archer’s injury led to his withdrawal from the fourth Ashes Test in Melbourne. Although England triumphed by four wickets in that match within two days, his absence was definitely felt as he had been a key player throughout the series. Prior to his injury, Archer had delivered nine wickets at an average of 27.11, including a remarkable 5/53 in the first innings of the Adelaide Test. Additionally, he showcased his batting prowess with a maiden Test half-century, scoring 102 runs in the same match.

Though his T20 experience is relatively limited with only 21 matches played, Archer's selection emphasizes the selectors' confidence in his capabilities. Alongside Archer, uncapped pacer Joshua Tongue has also been included in the provisional T20 World Cup squad. Tongue, who has yet to feature in one-day cricket for England, has caught the selectors' eye with impressive consistency this season. He topped the charts as the leading wicket-taker in this year’s men’s Hundred tournament, claiming 14 wickets and taking 12 wickets at an average of 18.58 across two Ashes Tests.

Will Jacks, a batting all-rounder, makes his return to both the T20 World Cup and white-ball squads after missing the New Zealand tour in October due to injury. Seamer Brydon Carse has also been included in the ODI and T20I squads for the Sri Lanka series, while top-order batsman Zak Crawley returns to the ODI side for the first time since December 2023.

In a notable exclusion, Jamie Smith, Jordan Cox, and Saqib Mahmood have not made the provisional T20 World Cup squad or the white-ball squads for the tour to Sri Lanka.

England's T20 World Cup campaign kicks off on February 8 in Mumbai against Nepal. They will subsequently face the West Indies on February 11, followed by Bangladesh on February 14, and Italy on February 16, with the latter three matches taking place in Kolkata.