England's white-ball captain, Harry Brook, has finally addressed his two-year ban from the Indian Premier League (IPL). The right-handed batsman was set to play for the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025 after being selected during the mega auction held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. However, just days before the tournament commenced, the 26-year-old announced his withdrawal.

Prior to the IPL 2025 season, the governing council implemented a new regulation stating that any player who withdraws at the last minute after being auctioned will face a two-year ban from the competition.

The rule specifies, “Any player who registers for the auction and subsequently makes himself unavailable before the season begins will be banned from participating in the tournament and player auction for two seasons.”

Recently appointed as England's white-ball captain, succeeding Jos Buttler, Brook spoke to reporters at Headingley, confirming his intention to forgo franchise competitions in favor of focusing on his England career.

When questioned about the potential ban from the IPL, Brook remarked, “They haven’t informed me. But if I do receive a ban, that’s fair enough. Those are the rules they established, but I am fully dedicated to playing cricket for England.”

He further stated, “I would gladly sacrifice some financial gain to represent England. I won’t be participating in any franchise cricket shortly, as my priority will be England and the matches we have with them.”

Pulling out of IPL wasn'teasy

Brook acknowledged that withdrawing from the IPL was a challenging choice, but he felt it was necessary given the upcoming international cricket schedule. England is set to face India in a five-match Test series, followed by a tour to Australia for the Ashes.

"Taking this time off after deciding to withdraw from the IPL was the right choice for me. It was not an easy decision, but I must manage my workload effectively. I have played a significant amount of cricket over the past year and a half, and the demands will only increase," Brook stated.

"I am uncertain about how much franchise cricket I will participate in soon, but my main focus is undoubtedly on representing England and playing as much cricket for the national team as possible," he continued.

Previously, Brook was acquired by the Delhi Capitals for INR 6.25 crore during the mega auction. However, he opted out of IPL 2025 due to his obligations to the England team.

In a statement shared on Instagram, Brook expressed, "I have made the very difficult decision to withdraw from the upcoming IPL. I sincerely apologize to the Delhi Capitals and their fans."

"This is a crucial time for England cricket, and I want to dedicate myself fully to preparing for the upcoming series," he added.

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