'Felt like he could hit any ball anywhere' - Jofra Archer names toughest batter he has bowled against

England fast-bowler Jofra Archer has named India wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul as the toughest batter he has ever bowled, mentioning how difficult he found bowling to the batter in his early years in the IPL.

The pair has met in eight IPL innings, with Rahul holding a favourable record against Archer. He has scored 108 runs in 73 balls, striking at 147.94. Archer, though, has dismissed Rahul twice in that span. The pair has also met in four Test innings, with Rahul scoring 50 runs in 136 balls without

being dismissed. On being asked who the toughest batter he has ever bowled to is, Archer responded by naming Rahul and crediting his ability to hit any ball.

"Probably KL Rahul in the first few years of the IPL. He was in his prime then, and it felt like he could hit any ball anywhere. He was really hard to bowl to," Archer said, speaking on the Super Over podcast.

🔴 I HAD NO ANSWER FOR KL RAHUL – JOFRA ARCHER🤯

Q 🎙️: Hardest batter you've ever bowled to?

Jofra🎙️: "Probably KL Rahul in the first few years of the IPL. He was in his prime then, and it felt like he could hit any ball anywhere. He was really hard to bowl to." pic.twitter.com/lEprhZsCmJ

— Sam (@cricsam02) June 22, 2026

Archer was recently in action for England in the second Test against New Zealand at the Oval. After missing the first Test, the 31-year-old finished with match figures of 5 for 123 from 36 overs as the Three Lions were beaten by 253 runs. Archer returned to the side as part of a major shake-up after Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson missed the match after a nightclub altercation, and the returning Ollie Robinson missed the game with a knee issue.

Archer is coming off a stellar season in the IPL. He picked up 25 wickets in 16 matches at an economy rate of 9.31, playing his role as the Rajasthan Royals' attack leader in their run to the playoffs.