'No Surprise': Jofra Archer Explains Why Mumbai Indians Have Won Five IPL Titles

MI will be the second team Jofra Archer will play for in the IPL after Rajasthan Royals.

One of the most explosive bowlers Jofra Archer had missed a lot of international action since last year but hoped that he will be able to join Mumbai Indians in the next season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Five-time champions Mumbai Indians spent big money on buying Jofra Archer, despite his availability concerns. However, he has a familiar face in Mahela Jayawardene waiting for him in the franchise. Jofra and Mahela worked together at Khulna Titans during the 2017 Bangladesh Premier League.

"I am really excited to get started with MI -- it is a great franchise. Mahela Jayawardene was one of my first coaches, we have the likes of Polly (Pollard) -- I have played a few games against him, this is probably the first time I will play with him. I am hoping to start winning games and trophies soon," Archer told the team's official social media handles.

"MI looks very close-knit and family-oriented and such teams always do well. That's why it is no surprise that we have won five titles. Polly's been there 10 years, Malinga was there a long time, the same with Rohit too. These things make you feel safe when you come into the team as a new player," Jofra explained.

MI will be the second team Jofra will play for in the IPL after Rajasthan Royals, where he played for three seasons. The speedster feels the change will be a great opportunity to see where he stands.

"The change of environment is good because you then get to challenge yourself. It is all right to perform in your comfort zone but when you actually go away and start performing in a different team, in a different setting, only then can you probably start rating yourself" felt Jofra.

The perception of fast bowlers has always been that they are an angry bunch, who need to stoke that fire to generate that fearsome pace. There are exceptions to this, of course, Jasprit Bumrah being a prime example, and Jofra is similar to Boom.

"I think you need to be calm as a fast bowler because you have to know when to step it up and when to tone it down. Being calm allows me to just make better decisions. Bowling also doesn't really change much according to conditions, you just have to know when and where to use your variations," he said.