England’s terrific batter Joe Root has made a confirmed decision to participate in the IPL 2023 auction, set to take place on December 23rd, in a bid to taste the aura of the cash-rich league for the first time in his career.
A day back, he commented on ‘giving it a try’ in the upcoming season. However, his participation was not yet confirmed. Root’s commitments as the Test skipper have kept him away from shortest-format and franchise cricket. However, with the captaincy burden eased, he is likely to expose the format closely.
He had said,
“I have no thoughts or feelings of retirement or slowing down or playing fewer formats,” Root said. “If anything, I feel a little bit more freedom with my time. I always used to get rested for the T20s and I feel like I got alienated from the format because I had not played enough of it.
“You can feel like you are getting left behind a little bit. Now, the next couple of years, might be a good time to explore playing a little bit more of that format and see how far I can take that side of my game.
“That is especially valid because of how we are trying to play now as a Test team. Looking at the game through a T20 lens, will that benefit my Test cricket?”
It is pertinent to mention here that Root’s only exposure to domestic tournaments outside of the T20 Blast and the Hundred came in 2018-19 with a stint at Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League (BBL).
Moreover, this is not the first time Root will appear in an IPL auction. His first tenure in the event came back in 2018. Nevertheless, the player went unsold. According to ESPN Cricinfo, Root, due to less experience in T20 cricket, would go unsold this time as well.
It is to note that irrespective of salary, Root is only willing to experience the IPL. He has not played a T20I since making 47 from 42 balls against Pakistan in May 2019, on the eve of the 50-over World Cup.
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England’s Joe Root gives up Test captaincy
