IPL 2023 | Joe Root to Make his IPL Debut After Jos Buttler's Injury?


image-lg7me2ewRoot likely to make his IPL debut [Twitter]

The ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 has been marred by several players getting injured, some prior to the tournament, while others have inflicted injuries on the field. Rajasthan Royals lost pacer Prasidh Krishna ahead of the tournament, and could potentially see wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler miss out on a few games after injuring his finger against Punjab Kings (PKBS) on Wednesday.

With Buttler recuperating after getting stitches, let us have a look into who could potentially replace England's white-ball skipper in RR's playing XI against Delhi Capitals today.


Joe Root

England's most protic Test run-getter in recent times, Joe Root is a like-for-like replacement for Buttler in the XI. Root, known for his classic batting, has lately been displaying his aggressive well as seen in his outing for the Dubai Capitals in the International League T20.

The 32-year-old has scored 2083 T20 runs at a healthy average of 32.54 and has represented teams like Trent Rockets, Yorkshire, and Sydney Thunder.

Donovan Ferreria

South Africa's upcoming youngster Donovan Ferreria could get his maiden IPL game. The 24-year-old had a terrific outing for the Joburg Super Kings in the SA20 league, slamming 164 runs at a strike rate of 135.53.

Ferreria is also a handy bowler, apart from being a wicketkeeper, and was the sixth-highest run-getter in the domestic T20 League for the Titans in the 2021-22 season, scoring 152 runs.

Dhruv Jurel

India's Under-19 star, Dhruv Jurel, after his heroics against Punjab Kings, who nearly won the game for RR, could be roped into playing XI. In 11 First-Class matches, Jurel has scored 587 runs at an average of 48.91, which includes one century and three fifties.

The 22-year-old is known for his explosive batting style, which is in line with Buttler's approach and could catch their opponent off-guard.