England batter Harry Brook, who withdrew from the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Delhi Capitals due to personal reasons, is set to return to competitive cricket next week.
Family First: Harry Brook misses IPL 2024
Harry Brook, signed by the Delhi Capitals for INR 4 crore (around £380,000) in the December auctions, missed both the recent Test series in India and the ongoing IPL season.
This decision came after the passing of his grandmother and the need to prioritize his family.
Yorkshire calls Harry Brook
Despite missing the IPL 2024 for Delhi Capitals, Harry Brook will be back in action soon. He is expected to feature for his county side, Yorkshire, in their opening match of the County Championship season against Leicestershire, starting on April 5th. Yorkshire head coach Ottis Gibson expressed his delight at Brook’s availability:
“Now that Brooky isn’t going to the IPL, I suspect he’s going to be available to us for the first few games… Having those two [Brook and Joe Root] playing for us would be special.”
Balancing Workload and T20 World Cup Defense
Another factor in Harry Brook’s IPL absence was workload management. With the T20 World Cup scheduled to begin on June 1st, England is aiming to retain their title. Playing in both the IPL and the Test series against India would have placed a significant burden on Brook, potentially impacting his performance in the World Cup.
Delhi Capitals struggle in Brook’s Absence
The Delhi Capitals, meanwhile, have had a rough start to their IPL campaign without Brook. They lost their opening match to the Punjab Kings and are also dealing with the absence of injured fast bowler Lungi Ngidi.
While the Delhi Capitals miss out on Brook’s talent, Yorkshire cricket fans can rejoice. Brook’s return will significantly strengthen their batting line-up for the County Championship season.
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