England premier batter Joe Root will join the Paarl Royals for Betway SA20 Season 3. Root is the most experienced current England batter with the former captain having played 344 internationals across all formats. During this time he has amassed a mammoth 19219 international runs and is widely regarded as one of the greatest batters of his generation. He has played 32 T20Is with Root being a dominant factor in England reaching the 2016 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final in Kolkata. Root struck a masterful 83 off 44 balls during the group stages that helped England chase down South Africa’s 229/4 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. It was a world record chase at the time.
Royals’ Director of Cricket, Kumar Sangakkara, said, “We all know what a phenomenal player Joe Root is, and to have him back at the Royals is a great feeling. He has been a great contributor to all the teams he has represented over the years, and has also proven to be a valuable all-rounder with his bowling and fielding attributes. As we saw during IPL 2023 and have also seen over the years, he is also a great team man, and has the ability to help his teammates develop both on and off the field. We are looking forward to using his expertise, his personality, his brains, and also his performances on the field to strive towards a successful SA20 season in 2025.”
Overall, the 33-year-old has featured in 105 T20s, having enjoyed stints in major franchise T20 Leagues such as the Indian Premier League (Rajasthan Royals), Australia’s Big Bash (Sydney Thunder) and the ILT20 (Dubai Capitals).
