A couple of years before, English cricketers were hesitant about taking part in the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL). However, things have changed drastically as the new player to join the list with the Lions Test skipper Joe Root.

Entering the IPL auction for the first time in his career, he has set his base price at INR 1.5 crore, Root has explained his thought-process behind entering the 2018 IPL auction.

The English skipper said, “One thing I’ve been very aware of for the past two years is the lack of T20 cricket. When that World Cup does come around in a couple of years’ time, this is probably the best window of opportunity for me to develop that white-ball side of my game. As someone involved in the Test side I don’t want to be missing white ball cricket and falling behind, trying to catch up.”

He further added, “I think the IPL is a great opportunity. It may be that I don’t have a great IPL but the best thing would be the exposure to different players and different ways of looking at the game, being under pressure for long periods of time. I can’t see how that could hamper my game or be detrimental to my England career. I spent a good four or five months making that decision, that’s where my head is at. Hopefully, we’ll see the benefits in a couple of years’ time.”

Joe Root could become one of the high-value players in the IPL auctions 2018 among the overseas players.

Other Englishmen like Eoin Morgan, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Chris Woakes and Jason Roy have graced the IPL in the previous seasons. Thus it is very likely, with the stature as that of Root, he could be one of the most highly sought-after players from the overseas bracket.