NEW DELHI: England batsman Harry Brook has been banned from the Ind­ian Premier League for two years after he pulled out at the last minute to focus on international cric­ket, local media reported Friday.

The 26-year-old, considered a frontrunner to repl­ace Jos Buttler as England’s white-ball captain, was signed to Delhi Capitals for the IPL season beginning next week.

Brook also withdrew from his contract with the Delhi side last season after the death of his grandmother.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has been informed about Bro­oks’s ban, an unnamed official from the Board of Control for Cricket in Indian (BCCI) told the Indian Express newspaper.

The ban was part of a policy “informed to each player before they registered their name for IPL auction last year”, the official said.

The rules are designed to prevent late pullouts from the league by overseas players. Exceptions can be made, mostly for injuries.

Brook this week apologised on social media “unr­e­s­ervedly to the Delhi Cap­it­als and their supporters” for pulling out of the league “to recharge” and focus on international cricket.

Brook has played one season in the IPL, for Sunr­isers Hyderabad in 2023, when he scored a 55-ball century against Kolkata Knight Riders.

The IPL begins on March 22 when Kolkata host Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Eden Gardens.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2025