Joe Root IPL 2023: Rajasthan Royals’ English maestro in brief numbers England Test captain Joe Root made his long-awaited Indian Premier League debut in 2023 with Rajasthan Royals, but the fairytale stayed brief. In his solitary outing at the crease, Root faced 15 balls for 10 runs, striking one boundary and finishing unbeaten on 10. With no sixes, fifties or centuries in that lone innings, his strike-rate settled at 66—a rare single-digit story for a batter of his calibre. Tasked to roll his off-breaks for the first time in IPL colours, Root bowled two economical overs, conceding 14 runs off 12 balls at an economy of 7.0. Though he failed to claim a wicket, his tidy spell kept the scoring in check and hinted at the all-round value Royals had banked on. Across the 2023 campaign, Root featured in just one match, making the numbers read like a postcard rather than a chapter: 10 runs, 1 four, 0 sixes, 0 wickets, but a memorable Royals debut all the same.

Hardik Pandya IPL career story: 11 seasons, 2749 runs at a 146 strike-rate, 148 sixes, 10 half-centuries Hardik Pandya has been one of the Indian Premier League’s most explosive batting all-rounders since his 2015 debut with Mumbai Indians. Across 140 innings he has unleashed 2,749 runs off just 1,871 balls, translating to a fearsome strike-rate of 146—the sort of number that turns middle-overs into match-winning passages. He has cleared the ropes 148 times and found the boundary another 207 times, underlining why captains post straight long-on and deep mid-wicket for him from ball one. His highest score of 91 and ten half-centuries show he can both finish innings and anchor them when required. While Pandya’s primary currency is runs, he has also delivered 78 wickets in 107 bowling innings, including one five-for and five three-wicket bursts. Operating at an economy of 9.18 and a strike-rate of 20.87, he often bowls the difficult overs at the death, trusting his cutters and the slower ball. Having represented Mumbai Indians for eight of his eleven campaigns and captained Gujarat Titans to the 2022 title, Pandya’s dual-skill value has made him a marquee name every mega auction.

Note: This overview is partially generated using AI and is based on statistical data. Please verify with official sources for complete accuracy.