In a major blow to Delhi Capitals, Harry Brook has reportedly pulled out of the upcoming Indian Premier League 2024 due to personal reasons and the franchise is looking for replacements. Brook recently missed the England tour of India due to a similar reason where his team suffered an embarrassing 4-1 defeat. According to a report from Cricbuzz, the star batter is extending his absence and has withdrawn his name. The 25-year-old batter was bought for INR 4 crore by Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2024 auction in December last year. He failed to impress for Sunrisers Hyderabad in his debut IPL season in 2023 and was later released from the team ahead of the latest auction.
Brook scored one century but managed to register just 190 runs in 11 IPL innings in 2023. He also struggled for form in the ICC World Cup 2023 where he scored just 169 runs in 6 innings with one fifty to his name. Meanwhile, Delhi will be boosted with the return of captain and wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant who missed the entire 2023 edition due to injuries he suffered in a car accident. Brook is the sixth cricketer to opt out of the IPL this year after Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Joe Root, Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson.
Brook's absence extends beyond the IPL; he was also a notable absentee from the England team recently. Originally slated to participate in the Test series in India, Brook withdrew from the Test squad at the last minute, with the England team management and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) seeking privacy for the player and his family. "The Brook family respectfully requests privacy during this time. In light of this, the ECB and the family kindly request the media and the public to respect their wish for privacy and refrain from intruding on their private space," stated the ECB in a January release.
