Harry Brook withdraws from IPL 2024 due to the death of his grandmother

New Delhi, March 14 (HS). England batsman Harry Brook has withdrawn his name from IPL 2024 as his grandmother passed away in February and he wants to be with his family.

“I have taken the very difficult decision not to play in the upcoming IPL,” Brook said in an official statement on Wednesday. I was very excited to be selected by Delhi Capitals and was looking forward to connecting with everyone. While I don't feel I need to share my personal reasons behind this decision, I know many will ask why. So I want to share it.”

He said, “I lost my grandmother last month – she was a rock for me and I spent a large part of my childhood in her house; My outlook towards life and love for cricket was shaped by him and my late grandfather. When at home, there was hardly a day that did not involve seeing him. It makes me very happy that she got to see me play cricket for England. I am proud that she has been able to collect some of the awards that I have won over the years.”

Brook had also pulled out of England's recent five-Test series in India from January to March after being part of the pre-tour training camp in the UAE. He left the team in UAE and did not go to Hyderabad for the first match.

He said, “The night before I flew to India from Abu Dhabi, I decided to leave the India Test tour because I was told for the first time that my grandmother was ill and she did not have much time. Now that she has passed my family and I are grieving and I need to be around them. Over the years I have learned to prioritize my mental well-being and that of my family, honestly nothing is more important to me than family. While this may be a surprise to some people, I know it is the right decision for me. I am young and hopefully have many more years of cricket to come, which I intend to make the most of. I couldn't be more grateful for the support I have received, especially from the ECB and Delhi Capitals, thank you.”

Brook, 25, made his IPL debut in the 2023 season when Sunrisers Hyderabad bought him for Rs 13.25 crore (about US$1.6 million) based on the power-hitting he showed in the T20Is in Pakistan in 2022. In his first IPL season, however, Brook scored only 190 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 123.37; One of those innings was an unbeaten 100 off 55 balls against KKR.