Joe Root’s connection with a Royals franchise is not new. In 2023, the IPL team Rajasthan Royals (RR) signed him, marking his debut in the league. Root played three matches for RR, scoring a total of 10 runs. Though RR did not retain him for the 2024 season, he will now join the Paarl Royals for SA20 2025. Announcing his arrival, Paarl posted an edited picture of Root with the text ‘Royal Again. The social media admin captioned the post as follows.

🚨 BREAKING 🚨

Paarl Royals sign England star batter Joe Root for the upcoming SA20 season.🏏#JoeRoot #SA20 #PaarlRoyals #Sportskeeda pic.twitter.com/9ht0TZGdDd

— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) July 19, 2024

Root has extensive T20 experience but is no longer a first-choice selection for England’s T20I team. His last T20I appearance for England was on May 5, 2019, against Pakistan at Sophia Gardens.

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“We are excited to leverage his expertise, personality, and intelligence,” commented Kumar Sangakkara on Joe Root joining the Paarl Royals. The Royals’ Director of Cricket praised Root and welcomed him to the team, stating in a media release:

From England to South Africa, cricket’s favorite reverse scoop is coming home… 💗 pic.twitter.com/CzO1ucRGtw

— Paarl Royals (@paarlroyals) July 19, 2024

SA20 will commence on January 9, 2025, in South Africa. The Paarl Royals have yet to qualify for the final in the two seasons played so far. Root’s arrival could potentially change the team’s fortunes, making this season an exciting one to watch.