Ravichandran Ashwin has reacted to England ace batter Joe Root opting to enter the upcoming IPL mini-auction auction.
Root wants to grasp the conditions ahead of the 2023 World Cup in India, so Ashwin described it as a professional thing to do.
Ravichandran Ashwin on Joe Root
One of the English players seeking an IPL contract in the mini-auction next month will be Joe Root. The IPL 2018 mega-auction produced no bids for the former England Test captain. Since then, he has not participated in an IPL auction. In the mega auction, Root had a base price of Rs 2 crore.
Root knows that he might not find a buyer again and has no expectations. Root plays regularly for the ODI team, and his IPL experience will help him get ready for the 2023 World Cup, which will be held in India.
Even Australia permitted English players to compete in the Big Bash League (BBL), according to Ravichandran Ashwin, and that exposure helped them win the T20 World Cup.
“Actually, it’s a professional world. In the recently concluded T20 World Cup, we will take a look at the England players. Most England players have had plenty of experience playing the Big Bash League in Australia,” Ashwin said.
The only member of the Fab Four who isn’t playing in the IPL is the England batsman, according to Ashwin. He backed up his expertise and off-spin bowling abilities, which is helpful for the franchises.
“We always treat our guests really well. He is absolutely willing to come and play. We should only welcome him. He is a legendary cricketer already and is a part of Fab-Four as well. Williamson, Smith and Kohli have played in the IPL. Let Root also play. He can bowl decent off-spin as well. He will be really useful for many franchises with his T20 cricket. He himself has said that his experience will be really useful,” he added.
Ashwin also said that Joe Root would be seeking to soak up the IPL hype from his England teammates in order to revive his T20I career.
“Joe Root decides to put his name in the IPL auctions. His mind voice was like, ‘I wanna know what’s the hype around the IPL because everyone around me, say, Hales, Billings and even Buttler keep hyping up IPL like anything. So, I wanna try it out this year. Just when everyone was eager to see how Joe Root goes at the auctions, he came up with another statement. ‘2023 World Cup is going to take place in India. So, I wanna be with the IPL teams and understand the conditions and win the World Cup next year,’” he said.
