Harry Brook reverses stance and says he may consider playing in the IPL

Harry Brook said on August 13, 2026, on the sidelines of The Hundred at Headingley that he could consider playing in the Indian Premier League in the future. The England batter's comments represent a change from his earlier refusal to take part in franchise competitions other than The Hundred.

Before England’s T20I series against India last month, Brook had been explicit about his priorities, saying: "I've committed completely to England cricket. I've said that I don't want to play any franchise cricket barring the Hundred, and everything that I want to do is to play cricket for England," and adding, "Hence the reason I don't play in the IPL and PSL and all the other franchise competitions."

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo at Headingley during The Hundred, Brook answered differently when asked about the IPL, saying: "Yeah, definitely. The IPL is a great competition, and it's a great experience, and you go over there, you leave a better player. It's a very good competition to be a part of, and it's something that I'll definitely think about in the future."

Brook has an interrupted history with the IPL: he was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 13.25 crore in the 2023 auction and scored a century against Kolkata Knight Riders during his debut season. He was purchased by Delhi Capitals for INR 6.25 crore at the 2025 mega auction but withdrew from the tournament, having earlier pulled out of the 2024 season following the death of his grandmother.

Following his second withdrawal, Brook was handed a two-season ban under the IPL’s revised overseas-player regulations and was therefore unavailable for the 2026 IPL auction. Those sanctions affect his ability to rejoin the competition immediately despite his revised stance.

Brook's recent performances for England and in The Hundred have been notable: he played a major role in England’s 4-0 T20I series win over India, producing a match-winning 79 off 35 balls in the fourth game at Lord’s as England chased down their target with nine wickets in hand and he was named Player of the Match. In The Hundred for Sunrisers Leeds he hit a 15-ball fifty against London Spirit earlier this month as his side posted the competition’s highest-ever total of 241 for 2, and he has maintained a strike rate of 187.27 in The Hundred in 2026.

For now Brook cannot immediately turn his latest comments into an IPL appearance; he was unavailable for the 2026 auction and is expected to become eligible again from 2027.