Ipl 2023: Will Try To Do My Best For The Side, Says Joe Root Ahead Of Tournament Debut

Talismanic England batter Joe Root is all set to make his debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL) during Rajasthan Royals' match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Sunday.

Root, 32, went unsold at the 2018 IPL auction. But ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, he was picked up for INR 1 crore in last year's player auction.

"If I get an opportunity (to bat), I'll try to do my best for the side," he said.

"I think we (RR) need to play to our abilities, there is so much experience and exciting talent within the group, and it is just about putting on a show and expressing ourselves. Hopefully, we can play with confidence and freedom, and entertain the crowds," he said to broadcasters ahead of his cap presentation.

Root has been a mainstay with the bat in Tests and ODIs for England, but played his last T20I for the Three Lions in May 2019.

"I'm in this format just to try and look at the game slightly differently, and that's always what you want to do when you're new somewhere -- just be a sponge and soak as much as possible. I feel like I have had a huge amount of learning in the last few weeks," he added on his learnings at Rajasthan.

Root had played for Dubai Capitals in the inaugural edition of ILT20 earlier this year in the UAE, before coming to India for IPL 2023.

"The last few weeks for me have been really good to just be around T20 cricket. Been a long time since I've had a block of time to concentrate only on T20. To get the opportunity to be here, learn from the coaches and see some young guys come through has been beneficial for me as a player," he said.

After the IPL, England have an important Ashes series against Australia at home, but Root has chosen to stay in the present.

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"I'm very passionate about playing for England clearly. It was a dream to just play one Test match, let alone so many. Looking forward to what's to come later on in the year. But got my hands full now and I'm enjoying what's happening here right now," he said.