Paarl Royals announce signing of 'phenomenal player' Joe Root ahead of third SA20 season

The 33-year-old former England captain and has amassed a mammoth 19 219 international runs across all three formats.

Root has played 105 T20s so far in his career, scoring 2432 runs and also known to chip in with the ball, having picked up 27 wickets at an economy of 8.47.

He is set to represent his second Royals' franchise, having also played for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2023.

Royals' director of cricket, Kumar Sangakkara, said: "We all know what a phenomenal player Joe Root is, and to have him back at the Royals is a great feeling.

"He has been a great 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 saw during IPL 2023 and have also seen over the years, he is also a great team man, and has the ability to help his teammates develop both on and off the field.

"We are looking forward to using his expertise, his personality, his brains, and also his performances on the field to strive towards a successful SA20 season in 2025."

The Paarl Royals had England internationals Jos Buttler and Jason Roy in their squad last season when they reached the playoff stages.

The third season of the SA20 will commence on 9th January until 8th February 2025 with Sunrisers Eastern Cape having won the first two editions of the tournament.