New Delhi, 22 July (HS). Veteran England batsman Joe Root joined Paarl Royals for Betway SA 20 Season 3. Root is currently the most experienced batsman of the Three Lions, the former captain has played 344 international matches across all formats.

During this time, he has scored 19,219 international runs and is considered one of the greatest batsmen of his generation. He has played 32 T20 matches, in which Root played an important role in England's victory in the 2016 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Final in Kolkata. Root played a brilliant innings of 83 runs in 44 balls during the group stage, thanks to which England successfully chased South Africa's target of 229/4 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. According to a release issued by SA20, this was a world record at that time.

Kumar Sangakkara, Royals' Director of Cricket, said in a release issued by SA20, “We all know what a fantastic player Joe Root is and it's great to have him back at the Royals. He has been a huge 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 have seen during IPL 2023 and over the last few years, he is also a great team man and has the ability to help his teammates develop both on and off the field. We look forward to using his expertise, his personality, his mind and his performance on the field to strive towards a successful SA20 season in 2025.”

Overall, the 33-year-old has played 105 T20 matches, and has featured in major franchise T20 leagues such as the Indian Premier League (Rajasthan Royals), Australia's Big Bash (Sydney Thunder) and ILT20 (Dubai Capitals), the release said.