England's prolific batter, Joe Root, has decided to opt out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, leaving fans and the Rajasthan Royals franchise in awe. Root, who made his IPL debut in the 2023 season, has cited the need for rest after an intense cricketing schedule.The decision to skip IPL 2024 was communicated during the retention discussions, according to Kumar Sangakkara, the Royals' Director of Cricket. Root's relentless schedule, spanning from New Zealand to the Ashes, and culminating in the IPL, left the 32-year-old cricketer in need of a well-deserved break, as stated by Rob Key, England's managing director of men's cricket.
"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." said Sangakkara. Root is set for a key role in England's five-match Test series away to India, which starts on January 25. Root was picked up by Royals as their final overseas player in the auction ahead of the 2023 season for his base price of INR 1 Crore. Attempting to revive his T20 career, Root got to play just three games for the Royals and Royals have added fast bowler Avesh Khan to their ranks ahead of the IPL auction by trading him for Devdutt Padikkal who has gone the other way to join Lucknow Super Giants.
