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Veteran England batter Joe Root has decided to join Dubai Capitals for the inaugural edition of the International League T20, to be held in Dubai from January 13 and run until the final on 12 February. The side are also part-owners of the Delhi Capitals, in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The news comes a day before the auction for the 2023 IPL which is scheduled to take place on Friday, December 22 in Kochi and Root is on the radar of the Capitals franchise, especially after this move.
Root has not played in the IPL yet, and is also not a part of the English team's current T20I setup. He has registered for the auction at a base price of Rs 1 crore and will go under the hammer on Friday, December 22 in Kochi.
The Dubai Capitals are loaded with some of the best T20 players in the world like Rovman Powell, Dushmantha Chameera, Hazratullah Zazai, Fabian Allen, Mujeeb Ur Raman, Sikandar Raza, Niroshan Dickwella, Dasun Shanaka, Bhanuka Rajapaskha, Dan Lawrence, Blessing Muzarabani, Isuru Udana, George Munsey and Fred Klaassen.
In 88 T20s, Root has scored 2083 runs at an average of 32.54 and a strike rate of 126.70 with 13 half-centuries to show for his efforts. He last played T20 cricket for England before the 50-over World Cup at home. In T20Is for England, he has been equally good, with 893 runs to his name at an average of 35.72 and a strike rate of 126.30. He has also scored five fifties.
Root has played franchise T20 cricket for Yorkshire in the T20 Blast, Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League (BBL), and Trent Rockets in the Men’s Hundred.
The ILT20 will have six teams including Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Dubai Capitals, Gulf Giants, Desert Vipers, MI Emirates and Sharjah Warriors.
