Delhi Capitals faced a significant setback this Wednesday upon learning that Harry Brook had withdrawn from participating in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season, less than ten days before its commencement in 2024.
Acquired during the IPL 2024 auction in December for ₹4 crore, Brook attributed "personal reasons" to his decision to opt out of this year's tournament, according to a Cricbuzz report.
Brook's disappointing IPL debut
Having made an unsuccessful IPL debut last year with the Sunrisers Hyderabad, he managed to score only 190 runs from 11 T20 matches, averaging 21.11.
The 25-year-old England cricketer had also opted out of the recent 5-Test series against India, held in February-March.
DC eyeing young Aussie batter
Reports suggest that DC is eyeing swashbuckling Australian batsman Jake Fraser-McGurk as a potential replacement for Brook in IPL 2024. The 21-year-old right-handed batsman debuted for Australia against the West Indies last month.
Despite his impressive performance, Jake remained unpicked in the last IPL auction, despite his remarkable achievement of scoring a 29-ball century in a domestic one-day match for South Australia against Tasmania in October 2023.
Bairstow available for full season
Meanwhile, Punjab Kings can breathe a sigh of relief as star batsman Jonny Bairstow will be available for the entire season.
During the Dharamsala Test, BCCI officials engaged in discussions with their counterparts from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) regarding the availability of English players for the IPL.
Test regulars such as skipper Ben Stokes, Joe Root, and Mark Wood had already made themselves unavailable for the lucrative T20 league, as part of ECB's workload management following the conclusion of the five-Test series in Dharamsala on Sunday.
"Bairstow is expected to arrive in India on March 18 or 19 and will be available for the team's first game against Delhi Capitals on March 23," stated an IPL source.
Dharamsala to host 2 home games for PBKS
Dharamsala is set to host two home games for PBKS, though the entire season schedule is yet to be announced.
Punjab is anticipated to play their final two home matches in Dharamsala, similar to last season, while the other five games will take place in the newly constructed stadium in Mullanpur, Mohali.
Punjab Kings will open their IPL 2024 campaign against the Delhi Capitals at the new PCA stadium in Mullanpur on March 23.
