IPL 2023: Three teams to target Joe Root in the mini auction

The highly anticipated player auction for the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) is just a day away and the franchises have explored all options to strengthen their roster. The bidding event will feature many big players, and one of them is said to be the former England Test captain Joe Carrotwho has registered for the auction.

Root was notably featured in the 2018 auction, but was unable to secure any offers and went unsold. Root last appeared in a T20I series in 2019 and was not part of the previous two T20 World Cup teams for 2021 and 2022. He played in a number of domestic tournaments such as the T20 Blast, the Hundred and the Big Bash League (BBL) for the Sydney Thunder in 2018-19.

Root hopes to be picked by one of the ten franchises. So let’s take a look at three teams that could target Root in the upcoming auction.

Sunrises Hyderabad:

Following the release of Kane Williamson, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will be looking for a quality skipper for the upcoming season, and Root can fill that spot. Root has a lot of experience and like former skipper Kane, Root is also known for his calmness and composure.

In particular, the Sunrisers, owned by Kavya Maran have the maximum amount of money, with INR 42.25 crores in their wallets. Since SRH has no reliable candidates for the leadership role, they will most likely go for Root in the auction.

Punjab Kings:

Like the Sunrisers, the Punjab Kings (PBKS) will also need a captain as they have released their skipper Mayank Agarwal. The right-handed hitter had a terrible time with the willow last season, scoring only 196 runs from 13 games.

Kings would be looking for a suitable replacement for Mayank in the new season, and Root, who has mid-order batting experience, could be a perfect choice. Furthermore, Punjab has the second highest purse (INR 32.2 crores) left which can help them explore options.

Lucknow Supergiants:

Unlike SRH and PBKS, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) don’t have to worry about finding a leader as they are already blessed with KL Rahul‘s services. The Lucknow team had a great season earlier this year and would be looking for solutions to their problem that came to light in IPL 2022.

While the captaincy did fine with LSG, the inexperienced midfield was their biggest concern last season. The Lucknow team will be eyeing an experienced campaigner and Root could be the ideal candidate. Especially after release Manic Pandey and Eve LewisLSG will definitely try to boost their mid-range.