Brook opens up on difficult IPL experience

England white-ball captain Harry Brook has admitted that criticism and social-media scrutiny during his only Indian Premier League season affected him both personally and professionally.

Brook scored 190 runs for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2023 IPL, including a century against Kolkata Knight Riders. His form dipped after that innings, however, and he faced mounting criticism over his performances.

Reflecting on the period in an interview with BBC Sport, Brook said: “I got into a little bit of a rabbit hole with scrutiny and social media when I was at the IPL. It didn't help me as a person on the field or off the field.”

The batter said he has since changed the way he handles online reaction. Rather than completely abandoning social media, he said he now avoids actively searching for criticism.

“I decided to, not stay away from social media, but also not go out of my way to look at it.”

‘People care’ about performances, Brook says

Brook acknowledged that hostile reactions can be difficult to read but said scrutiny can also indicate that supporters expect more from him.

“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,” he said. “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.”

Before his century against Kolkata Knight Riders, Brook had been criticised for his early performances and later said he was pleased to “shut up” supporters who had been “slagging me off”.

Brook’s IPL absence and two-year ban

Brook has not played in the IPL since the 2023 season. Sunrisers Hyderabad released him before Delhi Capitals signed him for Rs 4 crore in 2024, but he withdrew from that tournament after the death of his grandmother.

Delhi Capitals bought Brook again for Rs 6.25 crore at the 2025 mega auction. He subsequently pulled out to prioritise his international commitments and was handed a two-year IPL ban under BCCI rules.

Brook will be eligible to return to the competition at the 2028 mega auction.