England batsman Joe Root, who had made his IPL debut for Rajasthan Royals earlier this year, opted out of IPL 2024 just a day before the retention deadline. The Royals said in a statement on their website that they “respect” Root’s decision.
“During our retention talks, Joe informed us of his decision to opt out of IPL 2024,” Royals director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara said. “Even in a short period of time, Joe was able to create such a positive impact on the franchise and the players around him. We will miss his energy in the group and the experience he brought to the Royals. We fully respect his decision and wish him success in everything you do.”
Rob Key, England’s general manager of men’s cricket, had said after announcing the squad for the Caribbean tour that Root “needs a rest” at the end of the World Cup.
“He hasn’t been stopped probably since New Zealand or what he did in Pakistan, the ILT20, New Zealand, the Hundred, Ashes etc.,” Key had said.
In the IPL 2023 auction, Royals bagged Root for his base price of Rs 1 million (approximately US$121,000 at that time). He played three matches for them, but batted in only one, scoring 10 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Jaipur. Although opportunities were limited, Root tried to be a “sponge” in India to “absorb a lot of different information” and adapt to the T20 format.
He also enjoyed the company of youngsters like IPL 2023 batting great Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag.
“The addition of the 32-year-old to the Royals squad brought a lot of depth and experience, which served as a learning experience for many youngsters in the team like Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Yashasvi Jaiswal in the team,” the franchise said. he said in the statement. “His camaraderie with his England teammate Jos Buttler and his bond with Yuzvendra Chahal was also one of the most memorable moments of the former England Test captain’s stint with the Royals.”
Root becomes the second England player after their Test captain Ben Stokes to withdraw from the upcoming IPL season. Nov. 26 is the deadline for franchises to announce their releases and retentions ahead of the Dec. 19 auction.
The Royals have already been active in the trade window, bringing in India fast bowler Avesh Khan from Lucknow Super Giants, while letting Devdutt Padikkal go to Super Giants.
Shahbaz transferred to Sunrisers, Dagar to RCB
India all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed will represent Sunrisers Hyderabad next season after his franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore swapped him for bowling all-rounder Mayank Dagar. The exchange is understood to be a direct exchange between the two teams.
Dagar, who plays domestic cricket for Himachal Pradesh, played three matches for Sunrisers in what was his first IPL season after he was bought for INR 1.8 crore (approximately $219,000) in the 2023 auction. Shahbaz secured for INR 2.4 crores (approximately $320,000) ahead of IPL 2022.
Both Sunrisers and RCB have new directions in the upcoming season. While Sunrisers have Daniel Vettori as the new head coach, RCB have appointed Andy Flower for the same position.
