England Test skipper Joe Root has pulled out of the Twenty20 tri-series against Australia and New Zealand as he wants to rest before the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL).
Root, 27, has played the five-match Ashes Test series, which England lost 4-0 to Australia, and has also featured in the first three matches of the one-day series against Australia.
He admitted that the decision to opt out of the tournament was difficult for him which he made in consultation with head coach, Trevor Bayliss.
"I hate missing games of cricket for England. It is something that doesn't really sit well with me either. It was a long, hard decision that me and Trevor had to come to," ESPNcricinfo quoted Root as saying.
He added, "You look at the amount of cricket that we have got coming up and the opportunity that the IPL brings and you almost have to look at it as more of an investment for my game and for all the England team moving forward.
Root said that missing a few games might be worthwhile after looking at everything that IPL brings.
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He will enter the IPL auction, which will be held on January 27 and January 28, at the base price of Rupees crore.
The Yorkshire batsman is yet to be replaced for the Twenty20 tri-series.
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