Harry Brook opens up on IPL criticism and two-year ban
England white-ball captain Harry Brook has reflected on the criticism he faced during his IPL stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad. Brook said social media scrutiny affected him but also viewed it as a sign that people expected better performances.
New Delhi: England white-ball captain Harry Brook has opened up on the criticism he faced during his underwhelming and only Indian Premier League season with the Sunrisers Hyderabad. He was being criticised for his innings prior to his century against Kolkata Knight Riders and said he felt glad to “shut up” the supporters who were “slagging me off”.
Brook mustered only 190 runs in the 2023 season despite having scored a masterful hundred. However, his form dipped thereafter, and he found himself in a pressure cooker.
Brook has now reflected on the only season he was part of in the lucrative league, highlighting that he got into a troublesome situation. “I got into a little bit of a rabbit hole with scrutiny and social media when I was at the IPL,” Brook told BBC Sport. “It didn’t help me as a person on the field or off the field. I decided to, not stay away from social media, but also not go out of my way to look at it.
The England skipper turned his attention to the optimism from that criticism, as he feels that people wanted him to do better. “On the other hand, I actually feel it’s a little bit of a compliment if people are giving me scrutiny and have an opinion about my game. I know it’s not a nice thing to see people slagging you off, but it means people care and people think I can put in a better performance than I have done that day,” he said.
The 27-year-old has been banned from the IPL till 2027 and can only return for the 2028 mega auction after he repeatedly pulled out of the Indian cash-rich league. Brook was released by SRH after 2023 as Delhi Capitals picked him up for Rs 4 crore in 2024. However, he pulled out of the 2024 season due to the loss of his grandmother. The batter was acquired by DC during the 2025 mega auction for Rs 6.25 crore but withdrew to prioritise international commitments, following which he was handed a two-year ban.
Speaking on his exile from the league, Brook said he does “not really” have regrets about it.