Joe Root has said he “wants to play as much for England as [he] can in all formats” amidst increasing discussion that he could improve Jos Buttler’s T20I side ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
The 34-year-old has not played a T20I since 2019 but excels against spin, averaging 53.57 in nine T20I innings in India. England, meanwhile, have struggled to deal with India’s spinners, especially Varun Chakravarthy, in their current T20I series, where they trail 2-1 with two matches remaining.
“I think you’re always a better player when you’re not in the team,” Root told Sky Sports. “I’m just going to try and play the best cricket I can. You look at that squad, it’s full of players who can take the game away from the best bowlers in the world. They’ve got two more opportunities to turn things around. I want to play as much for England as I can in all formats but at the same time I’ve got to play more T20 cricket, prove myself and see where that takes me and look after that first.”
Root was speaking while representing Paarl Royals in the SA20 before heading to India to link up with England’s ODI squad. In eight SA20 innings, Root averaged 55.80 at a strike rate of 140.20 on largely spin-friendly pitches, including unbeaten scores of 92 and 78. However, his franchise cricket experience is limited, especially in India, where he has batted just once in the IPL, scoring 10 off 15 for Rajasthan Royals in 2023.
Root was the third-highest run-scorer in the 2016 T20 World Cup in India, averaging 49.80 and striking at 146.47 as England reached the final. He top-scored for his side in that match with 54 of 36, but England lost out to the West Indies after Carlos Brathwaite famously hit four consecutive sixes off Ben Stokes in the final over.
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