Joe Root Pulls Out of IPL 2024, Confirm Rajasthan Royals

Former England captain Joe Root has pulled out of IPL 2024. The news comes ahead of the IPL 2024 retention deadline – November 26.

One of the most decorated international cricketers for England, Root made his foray into the IPL set-up last season when the Rajasthan Royals picked him at the 2023 IPL mini-auction and played three matches in his debut season.

The Royals took to social media on Saturday to confirm the development.

“Joe Root has opted out of IPL 2024. The dressing room will miss you, Rooty,” the Royals posted on microblogging site X.

Speaking about Root’s decision, RR Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara 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, and Yashasvi Jaiswal in the team.

DC likely to retain Shaw

Delhi Capitals have decided to retain opening batter Prithvi Shaw, who is recovering from a knee injury suffered during his county cricket stint, while Kolkata Knight Riders have freed up a purse worth Rs 10.75 crore by releasing out-of-form all-rounder Shardul Thakur.

While Sarfaraz Khan and Manish Pandey, two players no longer suited to the demands of a top-tier T20 meet like IPL, were released earlier, it is understood that head coach Ricky Ponting and team director Sourav Ganguly have a lot of faith in Shaw’s abilities and expect him to get fit before the IPL starts in late March next year.

(With PTI Inputs)