New dad Joe Root set to join England squad

New dad Joe Root set to join England squad

England star batsman Joe Root, is all set to join his teammates in India following the birth of his first child. Root did not travel with the squad for the limited-overs leg on January 5 and decided to stay by his partner's side but will now fly to India on Wednesday (January 11).

England are slated to play a couple of 50-over warm-up matches on January 10 and 12 in Mumbai. Even though he will certainly miss the first game, it is still unclear whether the 26-year-old, who was blessed with a baby boy, will be available for the second practice match.

"Yes they've had a baby," confirmed skipper Eoin Morgan ahead of the first practice match. "He and his wife are healthy which is good news. And he should be ready for selection for the first ODI."

The fact that he is currently ranked seventh on the latest ICC rankings for batsmen makes him a vital member of England's white-ball plans.

The Yorkshireman was the only England batsman to score close to 500 runs in the recently concluded five-Test series. He has also amassed five successive fifty-plus scores in his last seven ODIs and his contribution would be vital for the visitors' success in the upcoming series.