Unwanted feat! Jofra Archer bowls longest-ever opening over in IPL
What's the story
In a surprising turn of events, England paceman Jofra Archer has set an unwanted record by bowling the longest first over in Indian Premier League (IPL) history. The over, which lasted 11 balls and conceded 18 runs, came during a match between Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Gujarat Titans (GT) at Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Saturday.
Bowling woes
Archer's struggles in the 1st over
Archer, who is known for his speed and precision, struggled with his control from the start. The over included several wides, a no-ball, and inconsistent swing. This gave the Gujarat Titans an unexpected edge in their IPL 2026 match. The first ball was hit for a four by Sai Sudharsan before Archer bowled a wide on the second delivery.
Extra deliveries
Breakdown of the marathon over
Archer's over also included a significant no-ball on the third delivery, which resulted in a single to Sudharsan after a misfield at backward point. This was followed by three leg-side wides, one of which went for five wides after beating the keeper and racing to the boundary. Shubman Gill faced a mix of yorkers and length balls with two more leg-side wides before Archer finally got through his marathon over on its 11th delivery.
Record tying
Archer joins these names
Archer's 11-ball over ties with the longest ever bowled in IPL history. The list includes Mohammed Siraj vs MI (Bengaluru, 2023), Tushar Deshpande vs LSG (Chennai, 2023), Shardul Thakur vs KKR (Kolkata, 2025), Sandeep Sharma vs DC (Delhi, 2025) and Hardik Pandya vs GT (Wankhede, 2025). Notably, Archer's over is the only instance of this record being set in a match's first over. The pacer bowled three wicket-less overs in the game and went for 46 runs.
Match impact
Implications of the record-breaking over
The early extras gave Gujarat Titans an instant advantage and a platform to build their innings. The visitors posted a mammoth total of 229/4 in 20 overs. The innings was led by captain Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, who both scored half-centuries. In response, RR perished for a score of 152 as Rashid Khan claimed four wickets.