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On Sunday, March 9, star England batter Harry Brook pulled out of the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The decision for the England’s white-ball vice-captain came late on Sunday night as he cited personal reasons for his withdrawal from the cash-rich league. It is to be noted that this makes it the second straight year that Brook will not be seen in the tournament despite getting a franchise.
Taking to social media, Brook in a post said that he needs to take time out to prepare for the “busiest period of his career” at the international level. In a post shared on his Instagram handle, Brook wrote, "I have made the very difficult decision to pull out of the upcoming IPL. I apologise unreservedly to the Delhi Capitals and their supporters.”
Harry Brook withdraws from IPL 2025 due to personal reasons
He further wrote, "I love cricket. Ever since I was a young boy I have dreamt of playing for my country and I am extremely thankful to have the opportunity to play the game I love at this level. With the guidance of people I trust, I have taken the time to seriously consider this decision. It is a really important time for England cricket and I want to fully commit to preparing for the upcoming series.”
Brook, who is currently the front-runner to replace Jos Buttler as England’s white-ball captain, is looking to focus more on his international career as he clarified that “playing for my country remains my priority and focus.” "In order to do this, I need time to recharge after the busiest period in my career to date. I know not everyone will understand, and I don't expect them to, but I have to do what I believe is right, and playing for my country remains my priority and focus. I remain hugely grateful for the opportunities I have been given and the support I receive," he further added.
It is to be noted that the Delhi Capitals signed Harry Brook for INR 6.25 Crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah. He was last seen playing for for SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2023 where he could manage only 190 runs in 11 matches. However, his decision of last minute withdrawal would come in heavy on the batter as he is likely to face two-year ban after the BCCI made strict actions to regulate this move.
Delhi Capitals' squad for IPL 2025
Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, Abishek Porel, Mitchell Starc, KL Rahul, Jake Fraser-McGurk, T Natarajan, Karun Nair, Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, Faf du Plessis, Dushmantha Chameera, Vipraj Nigam, Darshan Nalkande, Donovan Ferreira, Tripurana Vijay, Madhav Tiwari
