England batter Harry Brook grabbed a lot of attention after receiving a lucrative contract of INR 13.25 crore from Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). In the tournament, his responsibility was to bolster SRH’s batting line-up with his excellent batting prowess. The star player couldn’t justify his mega amount in the season and emerged as a failure.
He played 11 matches in his maiden IPL season and amassed only 190 runs at a dismal strike rate of 123.37 and an average of 21.11. Noting his failure, SRH parted ways with the English stalwart before the IPL 2024 auction. The youngster will feature with a base price of INR 2 crore at the upcoming business event in Dubai and some franchises might show interest in him.
Here are three franchises that might go after Harry Brook in the auction:
3. Delhi Capitals (DC)
Delhi Capitals released three foreign batters Phil Salt, Rilee Rossouw, and Roman Powell from their squad. These three players failed to produce the desired results for the side following which, the DC team management axed them before the auction. After releasing these players, Capitals will look to induct a credible middle-order batter into their team. Brook, who serves his national side England in the middle order, might grab DC’s attention in the auction.
The 24-year-old has played 24 T20 Internationals (T20Is) for the English side, in which he notched up 494 runs in 21 innings at a magnificent strike rate of 141.54. Brook exuded confidence with his bat in the 2023 edition of The Hundred competition. He accumulated 238 runs for Northern Superchargers in seven innings of eight matches at a remarkable strike rate of 196.69. These magnificent numbers can attract Delhi in the upcoming auction.
2. Punjab Kings (PBKS)
Punjab Kings (PBKS) might also raise their bidding paddles to rope in Brook for the upcoming IPL season. They didn’t include Bhanuka Rajapaksa in their retention list and following his removal, the PBKS team management will require a skilled batter who can deliver match-winning knocks to the team. Brook, who can be flexible in any batting line-up, can produce impactful knocks for Punjab.
PBKS have INR 29.1 crore to spend in the auction, with two overseas slots remaining. Adding Brook will strengthen PBKS as their batting unit will become one of the best in the upcoming tournament. In 2024, Jonny Bairstow will be seen in the opening role with captain Shikhar Dhawan. Along with these two experienced names, Brook can be given the responsibility to reinforce Punjab’s top order.
1. Mumbai Indians (MI)
After releasing Cameron Green, Mumbai Indians (MI) will need a batter who should make a vital contribution while batting at number three. Harry Brook has the potential to support the team’s top order, along with captain Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan. Like Green, the English player can also move to any position according to the team’s requirements.
Following his dismal IPL season, Brook looked effective with the bat not only in the 2023 Hundred edition but also in his national team’s jersey. In the four-match T20I series against New Zealand, he piled up 122 runs in four matches at an outstanding strike rate of 154.43 and an average of 40.66. The Mumbai-based outlet has four overseas slots available with the amount of INR 17.75 crore remaining in the purse.
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