Star England batter and their ODI and Test specialist Joe Root wants to develop into a solid T20 cricketer too and he is leaving no stone unturned for the same. Root has signed up to play the International League T20 for Dubai Capitals. Not to forget, Root has never played a single game in the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) and for only the second time ever, he will be seen in an international cricket League. One more fact about Root is that he has not played a single T20I since 2019. He has become a sort of Test specialist for England as the entry into the squad is tough due to massive talent pool at Three Lions. 


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He confirmed his participation in the upcoming IPL auction last month, after going unsold in 2018. Root`s T20 opportunities have been limited in recent years, in part due to the demands of his Test captaincy, which he held between 2017 and 2022, with only a BBL stint with Sydney Sixers in 2018-19 to go along with occasional Hundred appearances for Yorkshire and Trent Rockets. Root fell out of contention due to the rise of Dawid Malan, who plays a similar anchor role in the top order and helped England reach the World T20 final in 2016, scoring an audacious 83 off 44 in a record run chase against South Africa during the group stage.



His most recent T20I was against Pakistan in Cardiff ahead of the 2019 50-over World Cup.


One more thing to be mentioned as far as as squad of Dubai Capitals is concerned that they have also signed India's T20 stars Robin Uthappa and Yusuf Pathan, who no more play Indian Premier League. Rovman Powell, Fabian Allen, and Sikandar Raza, as well as another Englishman in Dan Lawrence will also feature for Dubai Capitals in the first season of ILT20. The league will be held in January and will see 34 matches played across UAE.


With ANI Inputs