Former England skipper Joe Root puts his name forward for IPL 2023 auction

England cricketer Joe Root has registered for the upcoming IPL auction, which will take place on December 23 in Kochi, according to Cricbuzz. Root entered the IPL auction in 2018 but remain unsold.

Root's participation in T20 tournaments have been limited due to a rigorous schedule. He did, however, play in the Big Bash League (BBL) for Sydney Thunder in 2018-19, where he scored 93 runs, as well as a couple matches in The Hundred for Trent Rockets. Root has a good record for England in T20Is (893 runs at 35.72 average), although he hasn't played in that format since May 2019.

"I would certainly debate going into the IPL draw quite seriously and hope to get exposure in that tournament. It would be great to get involved in the continuous enormity of each game and how much it means," Root was quoted as saying by Daily Mail.

"I have no thoughts or feelings of retirement or slowing down or playing fewer formats," Root said. "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. 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.

Root is currently in the UAE preparing for the December Test tour of Pakistan. England will next embark on a two-Test tour of New Zealand in February next year. In early 2023, England will also play white-ball series in South Africa and Bangladesh. England's home season begins on June 1 with a Test against Ireland at Lord's, followed by the Ashes. In that scenario, Root will be available for the most of the 2023 IPL.

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