England’s ace batsman Joe Root may well be seen displaying his skills in the next edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) as the 27-year-old has thrown his hat into the auction ring after ECB’s decision to open a long window for the English players.

The Test skipper of England is yet to be featured in the cash-rich league. In the past, Root has discarded the idea of playing in IPL but he has observed his close-friend Ben Stokes taking the tournament by storm. Moreover, Stokes had also shared his amazing experience after playing in the world’s most popular cricket league last year.

Considering the next edition of T20I World Cup which is to be played in Australia in 2020, Root wants to associate himself with the IPL.

“I get that the schedule is very full on if you play in all three formats,” Root was quoted by Daily Mail as saying.

“I've always said I put playing for England first and if it means resting from things like the IPL, which I've done in the past, I'll happily do that.

“For however long my international career lasts it's going to be focused about giving as much as I can for this team and playing for England,” he further added.

The England Test skipper is also concerned about the fact that they are playing less T20 cricket as compared to others.

“But one thing I've been very aware of for the past two years is the lack of T20 cricket. This is probably the best window of opportunity for me to develop that white-ball side of my game for when that World Cup does come around in a couple of years' time. You've seen how quickly one-day cricket has moved forward in the last three or four years,” Root said.

“As someone involved in the Test side I don't want to be missing white-ball cricket and falling behind, trying to catch up. I want to make sure I'm keeping my place and setting the standards in this team, leading the way,” he elaborated.

Talking about the IPL, Root said: “I think the IPL is a great opportunity. It may be that I don't have a great IPL but the best thing would be to get the exposure to different players and different ways of looking at the game, being under pressure for long periods of time.”

“I can't see how that could hamper my game or be detrimental to my England career. I spent a good four or five months making that decision, and that's where my heads at,” he concluded.

The much-awaited IPL auction is scheduled to be held in Bangalore on January 27 and 28.