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Harry Brook’s England team will do everything possible to dislodge India from the No. 1 spot in the ICC T20I rankings. Ahead of the match in Southampton, the home team captain explained why he chose to leave the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he was due to earn a big payday.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) banned Brook from the IPL for walking out of the tournament just before the opening day. Harry Brook will be banned from participating in the franchise league until 2028.
Team India is on the verge of losing the number 1 position
Since the inception of the Indian Premier League, the Indian cricket team has evolved into a powerhouse in world cricket, especially in the shortest format of the game. With three T20 World Cup titles, including two titles in two consecutive campaigns, India have established themselves as the most dominant force in the format.
Due to a huge difference in rating points, the Men in Blue continue to hold the No. 1 spot in the rankings despite losing five consecutive T20 matches. Before the trip to England, the Shreyas Iyer-led side lost 2–0 to Ireland and then to the Three Lions; The visitors remain without claiming a single win after playing four games, with one match being washed out due to rain.
The captain of England plays an important role in the stellar performance of the England cricket team against the number 1 T20 team. From changing his bowlers to changing the batting order according to the batsmen on strike, Brook has been on target since the start of the series. He is also in good form with the bat.
Harry Brook’s confident inning of 79 wins the series for England
In the last match held in Bristol, Harry Brook’s unbeaten inning of 79 runs in 35 balls and Phil Salt’s unbeaten inning of 59 runs in 42 balls helped England win by 9 wickets over India. On July 4 in Manchester, Brook scored 39 runs in just 15 balls. In this match, the middle-order batsman was in absolutely destructive mode against Arshdeep Singh, scoring 26 runs in one over alone.
Without any doubt, the England captain is one of the cleanest strikers of the ball across all white-ball formats. After watching Brook’s well-controlled batting against India, fans are wondering why he decided not to play the IPL, where top talents from all over the world gather to showcase their skills.
Why did Harry Brook choose not to play the Indian Premier League?
Harry Brook mentioned that instead of spending three months in the franchise league, he would prefer to prepare himself for the national cricket team’s upcoming international schedule.
“I think going to the IPL is a great experience. When I went to the IPL I really enjoyed my time. But I don’t see the world at the moment as to how I can play it. From my own point of view, playing all three formats, and captaining two sides, I have a lot on my plate with it,” Harry Brook told reporters ahead of the fifth and final match of the India vs England T20I series.
“And those three months are the right time for me to take a break and work hard on my fitness and my game and try to be the best I can be for English cricket over the summer and also for what we have in the winter.”
Harry Brook has ‘a lot to do’ and why he prefers to leave IPL pic.twitter.com/KFVmHnWF67
– Cricinfo (@cricinfo) July 11, 2026