Joe Root has expressed his interest in playing the upcoming edition of the IPL and is likely to enter the auction pool which will be held in February.Root, England's Test captain, has never been picked up by an IPL franchise and has not entered the auction since going unsold in 2018. The ECB is yet to confirm the centrally contracted players' availability for the 2022 edition, but with England's first Test against New Zealand starting on June 2, Root would likely be required to leave the IPL before the knockout stages if picked up.
I have not made a decision on the IPL just yet," Root said on Wednesday. "It is something I will have to keep wrestling with. Time is ticking but I have a lot to weigh up. The thing I will weigh up is: will it have a negative impact on me playing Test cricket for this team? If I don't think it will, then I will put myself in that position to play and put myself in the auction. "But I will never compromise or do anything that will detract from playing Test cricket for England. It is so important to make sure that is the priority for me and other players as well." Moeen Ali (Super Kings) and Jos Buttler (Rajasthan Royals) were the two England players retained by their franchises for the 2022 season, with many of their other leading limited-overs players set to enter the mega auction in Bengaluru next month including Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, and Jason Roy.
