England batter Joe Root has opted out of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, announced his franchise Rajasthan Royals on Saturday.
“England batter Joe Root will not be taking any further participation in the IPL, it was confirmed on Saturday,” said a statement from the team.
Root, one of the most decorated international cricketers for England, made his foray into the IPL set up last season, when the Royals picked him at the 2023 mini-auction. He made his IPL debut in the 2023 edition, playing 3 matches for the franchise. Root scored 10 in only one inning he played.
Kumar Sangakkara, Royals’ Director of Cricket, said, “During our retention conversations, Joe informed us of his decision to not take part in IPL 2024. Even in a short span of time, Joe was able to create such a positive impact on the franchise and the players around him. His energy around the group and the experience he brought to the Royals will be missed. We respect his decision totally and wish him success in everything he does.”
The 32-year-old’s addition to the Royals squad brought in plenty of depth and experience, which served as a learning experience for a lot of youngsters in the side like Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Yashasvi Jaiswal in the team. His camaraderie with his England teammate Jos Buttler and his bonding with Yuzvendra Chahal was also one of the memorable highlights of the former England Test skipper’s stint with the Royals.
RR finished at number five last season, with seven wins and 14 points in 14 matches.
Root has scored 2,235 runs in 97 T20 matches at an average of over 31, with 14 fifties in 87 innings.