England test skipper Joe Root contemplating entering IPL 2022 Mega Auction: England red ball skipper Joe Root on Thursday expressed his intentions to feature in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) season fifteen. Four years after going unsold, Root is again pondering putting his name in the auction and going under the hammer.
In his recent conversation with ESPNcricinfo, Root indicated his arrival in the IPL, if the tournament doesn’t distract him from the test cricket.
It is noteworthy that Joe Root, who is considered as one of the modern-day greats, is yet to don the IPL jersey. He opted to feature in the cash-rich league back in IPL 2018, however, not even a single franchise showed interest in his services.
“Time is ticking but I have a lot to weigh up. Will it have a negative impact on me playing Test cricket? If I don’t think so then I will put myself in the auction. But I will never do anything that will detract from playing Test cricket for England. It’s so important to make sure that is the priority for me and other players as well,” said Joe Root, according to ESPNcricinfo.
Notably, Root has expressed his desire to play in the competitive IPL a couple of times earlier as well, however, in the end, he has always opted against entering the IPL auction as somehow the IPL hampered his test cricket aspirations, which is his utmost priority.
Joe Root is also targeting the Tata IPL 2022 as it will further encourage his chances of getting a slot in England’s T20I side for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. The Englishmen last featured in a T20I fixture back in 2019 against Pakistan.
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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has scheduled the Tata IPL 2022 Mega Auction in Bangalore as a two-day event. The auction will be held on 12th and 13th February.
Meanwhile, Australian ace pacer Mitchell Starc is also contemplating entering the IPL 2022 Mega Auction after seven long years of break. Starc last featured in the IPL 2015 for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
Though Starc mentioned that he hasn’t filled up the auction form, but is likely to do it. Mitchell Starc has always looked at the IPL window as his break time to manage his workload and spend time with his family.
In the IPL 2018, Starc bagged a hefty contract of INR 9.4 Crores from two times IPL champions, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), however, the pacer was later ruled out of the tournament due to an injury.
It remains to be seen if both Joe Root and Mitchell Starc opts to enter the IPL auction or not.
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