IPL 2020 | Tough to be motivated to hit the gym when staying in the bubble, reveals Jofra Archer
Archer bowled a fine spell in Abu Dhabi
|@ IPL T20
Rajasthan Royals speedster Jofra Archer, who set up the game for the Royals with some fearsome bowling, revealed that keeping the body strong can be a challenge when inside the bubble, as motivation can sometimes dwindle. In a hostile spell of 1/20, Archer removed danger man Faf du Plessis.
Chennai Super Kings, unsurprisingly, opted to bat first after winning the toss, but that mattered little for Rajasthan Royals, who unleashed a rampant Jofra Archer right from the word go. Taking the new ball, the speedster set the tone up-front with his rockets and removed CSKâs top run-scorer, Faf du Plessis, in just the third over to put the Super Kings in a spot of bother. The blow up-front laid the foundation for the rest of the bowlers, who followed suit to choke CSK to a score of 125.Â
It was an exhibition of fast bowling from the Barbados-born speedster, who racked up the pace right from ball one. In hot and humid conditions in the UAE, such pace can only be generated via body strength and speaking post match, Archer revealed that he works on keeping his core strong. The tearaway quicked further stated that, at times, finding motivation to hit the gym, when inside a bubble, can be really tough.
âIt's nice with the wicket as it is, with the grass. It's a bit difficult, especially in the bubble, because sometimes you struggle for motivation. But you have to do it because you haven't done it in a few months. You have to take care of your body and it'll take care of you. I do mostly core, you don't lift heavy weights in the middle of competition. Light weights on the core and you're good,â Archer told Star Sports post the game.Â
Taking the new ball, Archer turned up the heat in the first over against his England teammate Sam Curran, who saw many a ball swish past him. Reflecting on that mini-battle, Archer revealed that he exchanged a few âfriendlyâ words with the younger Curran, who today was dismissed for 22.Â
âAfter the second over, I asked him if he plans to nick one,â Archer said of the Curran battle. The win today, propelled by Archer's spell, took the side to fifth on the points table.
