Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Root 'sacrifices' opportunity to enter IPL mega auction

Root 'sacrifices' opportunity to enter IPL mega auction

ENGLAND skipper Joe Root has "sacrificed" the opportunity to enter the IPL mega auction to "throw" all his energy into reviving the fortunes of his under-fire Test team.

Considered one of the modern greats of the game, Root is yet to play in the Indian Premier League after going unsold in the 2018 auction.


Last week, Root said he was considering entering the mega auction but added he would look to play in the tournament only if it does not distract him from his Test career.

However, the wait to see the 31-year-old feature in lucrative league increased further as he has decided to prioritise the English Test team, which just succumbed to an embarrassing 0-4 Ashes defeat.

"There's a lot that we need to do for this team, which deserves all of my energy," Root said at the post-match conference after his side's 146-run loss to Australia in the fifth Test on Sunday.

"I'll keep sacrificing as much as I can because I care so much about Test cricket in our country and trying to get us to where we want to be," added the star batter, confirming he has turned down the chance to enter the auction.

England's below par performance in Test cricket this past year has led to questions on his leadership but Root has expressed his desire to continue as the English red ball captain.

"It's very difficult when you get beaten as heavily as we have done on this tour to convince people I'm the right man.

"But I can tell you one thing for sure, as long as I have the opportunity to captain this team, I will throw everything into it and give everything - for everyone supporting us, for the guys around me, for the players - to try and provide an environment that allows us to be successful," Root said.

The IPL has expanded to 10 teams starting this year and the mega-auction ahead of the upcoming season is scheduled to be held on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru.

(PTI)

More For You

Starmer faces revolt as welfare bill vote sparks Labour uproar

Keir Starmer speaks during a reception for public sector workers at 10 Downing Street in London on July 1, 2025. (Photo by CARL COURT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Starmer faces revolt as welfare bill vote sparks Labour uproar

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer faced the most serious test of his leadership on Tuesday (1) as his government’s flagship welfare reforms came under fierce attack from within his own party.

The day was marked by emotional speeches, last-minute concessions, and a deep sense of division among Labour MPs, many of whom said the proposed changes would push vulnerable people into poverty

Keep ReadingShow less
Lucy Letby

Letby, from Hereford in western England, was charged in 2020 after a series of deaths in the hospital's neo-natal unit.

Three senior hospital staff arrested in Lucy Letby case probe

POLICE on Tuesday said they had arrested three senior staff members at the hospital where nurse Lucy Letby was found guilty of murdering seven babies. The arrests were made on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.

The investigation was launched in 2023 at the Countess of Chester Hospital (CoCH) in northwest England, following Letby’s conviction and life sentence for killings that took place between 2015 and 2016.

Keep ReadingShow less
Dan Houser new game

Fresh take on the open-world genre from one of its most influential creators.

YouTube/ Rockstar Games

Red Dead Redemption creator Dan Houser confirms new open-world game in development

Key points

  • Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser is developing a new open-world video game.
  • The game is set in the universe of A Better Paradise, a sci-fi audio series launched in 2023.
  • A Better Paradise is being adapted into a novel series, with the first volume due in October 2025.
  • Houser left Rockstar in 2020 and founded Absurd Ventures in 2021.
  • There is no confirmed release date for the game at this time.

Dan Houser, the acclaimed co-creator behind Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto, has officially confirmed that his new company, Absurd Ventures, is developing a new open-world video game. The title will be set in the universe of A Better Paradise, a science fiction IP first introduced in audio format last year.

A new venture after Rockstar

Dan Houser, a founding figure at Rockstar Games, played a central role in writing and producing some of the studio’s most celebrated titles, including Red Dead Redemption, Grand Theft Auto V, and Bully. After leaving Rockstar in 2020, he launched Absurd Ventures in 2021.

Keep ReadingShow less
Diljit Dosanjh
Diljit Dosanjh in a still from Sardaar Ji 3 set for overseas release only
IMDB

Diljit Dosanjh’s 'Sardaar Ji 3' becomes highest-grossing Indian film in Pakistan amid boycott in India

Quick highlights:

  • Sardaar Ji 3 rakes in £275,000 (₹3 crore) on opening day in Pakistan, surpassing Sultan.
  • Diljit Dosanjh responds to backlash: “When we shot the film, everything was fine.”
  • Film was not released in India due to controversy over Pakistani actress Hania Aamir’s casting.
  • Worldwide opening weekend collection touches £1.6 million (₹18.1 crore).

The Punjabi-language horror-comedy Sardaar Ji 3, starring Diljit Dosanjh and Pakistani actress Hania Aamir, has become the highest-grossing Indian film ever released in Pakistan. Despite being banned in India, the film grossed £275,000 (₹3 crore) on its opening day and £825,000 (₹9 crore) over the first weekend in Pakistan alone.

Keep ReadingShow less