Former England captain Joe Root has enrolled himself for the upcoming IPL 2023 mini-auction, scheduled to take place on December 23 in Kochi. It’s the second time in his career that he has shown interest in the cash-rich tournament. Back in 2018, he was featured in the auction list but could find a buyer.
According to an ESPN Cricinfo report, Root is very well aware of the fact that he might face the same fate and go unsold. Just because he wants to explore the world’s premier T20 league, he has no expectations on salary or any particular franchise.
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Several international commitments and a five-year tenure as England’s Test captain have kept him away from playing the shortest format. He last featured in a game against Pakistan, back in May 2019, where he scored a 42-ball 47. He had been a part of the Big Bash League (BBL) franchise Sydney Thunder in the 2018-19 season, which was his only exposure to domestic T20 tournaments apart from T20 Blast and The Hundred.
The involvement of English support staff in the IPL may help Root find a way into the league. Lucknow Super Giants head coach Andy Flower had worked closely with Root during his tenure with the England cricket team. Trevor Bayliss, the former England head coach, has recently been named as the coach of Punjab Kings which is another prominent English presence in the tournament.
In a conversation with the mail on Sunday, Root expressed that participation in the IPL might help him fill the loopholes which kept him away from the action in the shortest format. Also, a brief experience of playing on Indian soil will also come in handy ahead of the 50-over World Cup in 2023.
“I have no thoughts or feelings of retirement or slowing down or playing fewer formats. 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,” Root said.
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“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,” he added.
Joe Root hasn’t played only 11 T20Is since the beginning of 2021. He is currently in Dubai, prepping for the upcoming Tests in Pakistan, starting December 1. He might feature in the South Africa and Bangladesh ODIs next year but will surely be available for the majority of the IPL season.
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