Last Update: May 06, 2023, 14:15 IST
Fans demand Joe Root’s IPL debut after Rajasthan Royals’ batting failure against Gujarat Titans
With Rajasthan’s batting line-up faltering against Gujarat Titans on Friday night, appeals to hand Root his IPL debut cap seem to be gaining ground.
Rajasthan Royals’ decision to sign Joe Root for the 16th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has raised eyebrows. With 32 T20 matches, Root does not look comfortable with the shortest format of the game. An IPL contract for the former England skipper was not something many would have expected at last year’s mini-auction. However, Root’s IPL 2023 campaign is yet to begin.
In recent times, there has been a lot of competition to include Root in the playing XI. With Rajasthan’s batting line-up faltering against Gujarat Titans on Friday night, appeals to hand Root his IPL debut cap have gathered steam. Batting first, Rajasthan were bowled out for a total of 118 against Gujarat in Jaipur. Afghanistan Spinner Rashid Khan scalped three wickets to rattle Rajasthan’s batting unit.
Demanding the ouster of Shimron Hetmyer and Riyan Parag, fans wanted Joe Root to be in the playing XI.
You should play Joe Root instead of Hitmeyer, and also keep Riyan Parg aside – Randy Orton (@randy36772) May 6, 2023
it’s time to reveal @ route 66 at Sawai Man Singh Stadium, Jaipur. The two matches we have lost here would have been vastly different with a world-class anchor batsman like Joe Root. Sometimes we don’t need a third spinner. @rajasthanroyals— Vedant Agrawal (@VedantAgrawaI) May 6, 2023
Joe Root would have been a game changer in place of Ryan.— Łøne々WØŁF (@Krishnanu07) May 6, 2023
Give Joe Root a chance, he deserves it after a baseball game.- Hussain Channiwala (@Cricket_junkie1) May 5, 2023
Earlier, Joe Root had registered himself for the IPL 2018 auction but failed to find a franchise. Root was signed by Rajasthan in the IPL 2023 auction for Rs. 1 crore. In T20Is, Root was last seen in action in 2019 against Pakistan. In 32 T20Is, Root has scored 893 runs with five half-centuries.
Coming back to IPL 2023, Rajasthan suffered a nine-wicket defeat at the hands of Gujarat on Friday. Chasing a modest target of 119, Hardik Pandya’s men scored the winning runs with 37 balls to spare. Gujarat wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha emerged as his team’s top-scorer with an unbeaten 41 off 34 balls.
The defeat leaves Rajasthan Royals fourth in the IPL 2023 standings. The Rajasthan team will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in their next match on Sunday.
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