Joe Root available for Yorkshire's Vitality Blast opener against Nottinghamshire

England Test captain Joe Root will be available for Yorkshire's Vitality Blast opener against Nottinghamshire at Headingley on Thursday.

Root has played in five of England's six Test matches this summer since he missed the first Test against the West Indies to be present for the birth of his second child Isabella.

Live Vitality T20 Blast Cricket

England, whose Test and limited-overs groups have operated separately due to coronavirus protocols, will face Australia in three T20s and a trio of one-day internationals in September and Root could also feature in the return match against the Outlaws at Trent Bridge on Monday.

"I spoke to Rooty last night (Tuesday), and he's chomping at the bit," said Yorkshire coach Andrew Gale after the drawn Bob Willis Trophy match against Lancashire.

"He's got a point to prove not being in the England T20 set-up, which is a good thing for us.

"I'm not quite sure how many games he will play.

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"He's definitely going to play on Thursday. England are making a selection on the Australian T20 series on Sunday night. So he might play on Sunday and Monday as well. Everything's a bit up in the air.

"I just see anything as a bonus because we didn't expect to have him at all."

Root has not played for Yorkshire since April 2019, while he last played a T20 for the Vikings against Lancashire Lightning in 2018.

Watch Yorkshire Vikings take on Nottinghamshire Outlaws in the Vitality Blast on Thursday, live on Sky Sports Cricket, from 6.30pm.