(Watch) Joe Root joins Rajasthan Royals' camp ahead of IPL 2023
England's premier batter Joe Root has arrived to join the Rajasthan Royals for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). It is also the first time ever that the Englishman will be a part of the marquee T20 league.
While the right-handed batter initially went unsold in the auction, the Rajasthan Royals finally bid for him later in the event at a base price of 1 crore. The former England Test captain will join Jos Buttler in the Royals.
While Joe Root no longer plays for England's T20 side, he is a handy batter in the format and can maneuver gaps well. The 32-year-old last played a T20I in 2016 and has accumulated 893 runs in the format at 35.72. The Yorkshire batter was England's highest run-getter in the 2016 T20 World Cup, mustering 249 runs at an average of 49.80 and keeping a strike rate of 146.67.
"I really want to develop my white-ball game further" - Joe Root
During his stint in the International League T20 (IL20) in the UAE, the classy right-hander said that he wishes to play a lot more T20 cricket to add to his 50-over prowess.
As quoted by Inside Sport, he stated:
"I have a lot of experience in playing 50-over cricket now. I have got a good understanding of how to play in ODIs."
"I really want to develop my white-ball game further and if there is anything that I can add to my 50-over game, it will come from playing more T20 cricket and putting myself in situations I have not found myself frequently during the course of my career so far."
Joe Root's first knock in Dubai Capitals colours.
#ILT20 https://t.co/bxyx5VHtyE
Joe Root had a productive time in the IL20 with the Dubai Capitals, clobbering 214 runs in five games at 53.50.
Meanwhile, the Rajasthan Royals will begin their 2023 campaign against SunRisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad on April 2. The inaugural IPL champions reached the final last season, but lost to the Gujarat Titans in the final by seven wickets.