The former English skipper, Joe Root will be making his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut for Rajasthan Royals (RR), in the 2023 edition, while Royals will feature players like Jos Butler, Joe Root and Ravichandran Ashwin for the upcoming season, whereas, Sanju Samson will be leading the side.
The star English batter shared his thoughts regarding the Royals and captain Samson including Ravichandran Ashwin and Riyan Parag.
Joe Root says he enjoys watching RR skipper play Sanju Samson-
“Last year was an exceptional year for the franchise and I’ve always enjoyed watching Sanju (Samson) play. I think he’s a hell of a talent and seems to keep growing every year as a player and as a leader,” said Root
Root has been in sensational form in Tests for quite some time now. The right-handed batsman has been the most prolific run-scorer in Tests in the last couple of years. While he did not enjoy a good outing as a captain and eventually stepped down last year, it did not affect his batting.
“It’s a real family environment. Everyone seems to want to create that feel around things that it’s more than just performances on the field. It’s been a very warm welcome from the very first call, they said they were delighted to get me in the auction and I’m really looking forward to catching up further down the line,” he further added.
While the Royals won the inaugural edition of the IPL trophy in 2008, in the last edition RR made it to the IPL final. Sanju Samson-led side finished second on the IPL 2022 points table. With 9 wins and 5 defeats, the Rajasthan-based club picked up 18 points from 14 matches last season.
Ladies and Gents… Joe Root is finally home! 💗 pic.twitter.com/8xbp1EJE9P
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) March 25, 2023
“I’ve been here for a couple of days and feel very much a part of things already. I think it’s a really nice environment to play cricket and I’m looking forward to it. I am being extremely well looked after and eventually that helps me excel on the field,” stated the 32-year-old.
Rajasthan side was defeated by Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2022 final at Narendra Modi Stadium by 7 wickets and 11 balls remaining, while the Royals batted first and scored 130/9.
“I’ve heard a lot of things. And I’m really looking forward to living it now. It’s gonna be a very special year with the fact that the Royals are coming back to Jaipur and connecting with the fans and the city again. We’re looking forward to embracing that atmosphere and being a part of it,” said the right-hander,” concluded Root.
While the IPL 2023 kicks off on March 31 with the opening game against Gujarat Titans (GT) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), whereas, RR will start their campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on April 2.