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In the mini auction, Rajasthan Royals (RR) became the first franchise to hand former England skipper Joe Root his maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) contract. While Royals are placed on the top of the points table with four wins from five games, Root is waiting to make his IPL debut. The closest he came to make his IPL debut was when Jos Buttler injured his finger. However, Buttler regained fitness and is one of the contenders for orange cap.
Meanwhile, Royals have been sharing videos of Root practicising, dancing with Yuzvendra Chahal. On the eve of the clash against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at home, Royals shared a video of Root playing Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s signature helicopter shot.
Practicing on one of the side pitches, Root played the helicopter shot and was able to clear the boundary.
Recently, Root weighed in on the raging debate regarding anchor's role in fast-paced T20 format.
“I think there is a space for situational players who read the game very well. I wouldn't say there is a place for just anchors. You look at the guys who are consistent and perform well, all of them have the ability to go up and down the gears. They can read what's in front of them, understand the surface and the opposition, what's a good score, how to chase down a certain target,” Root was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
Root used his teammate Buttler’s example to prove his point who attacks when the situations demands for it rather than attacking all the way through.
“You look at the way Jos (Buttler) is playing. He can get 25-30 runs in an over. But he also has the ability to soak up pressure, to pick and choose when he is going to apply that pressure back on. That's just the beauty of batting. Regardless of the format, the guys who are on top are the ones who read the game the best and have the skill level to execute. I try not to pigeonhole players as power-hitters or anchors,” the 32-year-old explained.
Royals have trusted in Buttler, Shimron Hetmyer, Adam Zampa, Jason Holder and Trent Boult as there overseas picks, It will be interesting to see when Root makes his IPL debut and what role he will be given.
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