3 reasons why Harry Brook withdrawing from IPL 2025 is a huge blow to DC 

England batter Harry Brook pulled out of the upcoming 2025 IPL season on March 9, stating national commitments as the reason for the decision. The 26-year-old was picked up by the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the 2025 IPL auction for ₹6.5 crores.

By pulling out of the IPL for a second consecutive time, Brook could be facing a ban from the tournament in the future.

The up-and-coming England star announced the decision on his official Instagram handle, posting:

"It is a really important time for England cricket and I want to fully commit to preparing for the upcoming series. In order to do this, I need time to recharge after the busiest period in my career to date. I know not everyone will understand, and I don't expect them to, but I have to do what I believe is right, and playing for my country remains my priority and focus."

Coming to the DC side of things, Brook's eleventh-hour withdrawal places the franchise in a dicey situation for the upcoming season. Still searching for their elusive IPL title, the franchise missed the playoffs in the last three seasons and was hoping for a fresh start in 2025.

However, Harry Brook pulling out could be a massive blow to their resurgence chances, and here are three reasons why.

---

#1 Lack of proven middle-order batters could be exposed

The impact of Rishabh Pant's absence could multiply with Harry Brook's withdrawal [Credit: Getty]

DC were dealt a big blow when their icon player over the last several years, Rishabh Pant, left the franchise and joined the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL 2025 auction. The captaincy and wicketkeeping aside, Pant was DC's most bankable middle-order batter in the last few years.

While Harry Brook is no like-to-like replacement for Pant, DC must have been relieved at his acquisition, which lends pedigree to a middle-order short on experience or cache. While the likes of Tristan Stubbs, Donovan Ferreria, and Ashutosh Sharma are more finishers than innings builders, others like Jake Fraser-McGurk, KL Rahul, Abishek Porel, and Faf du Plessis are best suited to the top three in T20s.

Brook's absence leaves DC in a hole when it comes to the No.4 position, resulting in a batter or two playing out of position.

---

#2 Harry Brook had finally come into his own in the shortest format

Harry Brook has hit the ground running in the short format since last year [Credit: Getty]

As incredible as Harry Brook's Test career has been from the get-go, the England right-hander couldn't produce at the same level in the T20 format at the start of his career. However, the 26-year-old finally began acing the shortest version of the game last year.

Brook averaged a sensational 54.33 at a strike rate of 150.92 in six innings in T20Is last year. He also enjoyed incredible success in the 2024 Hundred season, averaging almost 33 at a strike rate of 148.18 in seven matches.

Although he struggled massively in the five T20Is against India at the start of 2025, the experience of playing on wickets he would have encountered in the IPL could have held him in good stead. The growth in Brook's T20 batting, combined with his recent experience against the white-ball on Indian pitches, makes his loss a crushing blow for DC.

---

#3 Brook's absence could lead to a continuation of DC's 2024 frailties

Shai Hope's middle-over struggles played a major role in DC's disappointing 2024 campaign [Credit: Getty]

DC missed out on a top-four finish in IPL 2024 almost entirely due to their inconsistent overseas batting in the middle overs despite playing on flat tracks at home. While Tristan Stubbs impressed with an average of 54 and a strike rate of 190.90, the other foreign internationals failed to make a mark.

The franchise entrusted Shai Hope and Mitchell Marsh to the job in the middle-overs last season, but the duo disappointed massively, with averages of 22.87 and 15.25 in 13 combined games, respectively. Brook was picked mainly to address this issue, especially with the departure of Pant, and act as the glue between an explosive top three and a powerful lower-middle order.

DC had the third-worst run-rate from overs six to 15 at 8.68 in IPL 2024. Brook's absence could now mean a repeat of the major issue that damaged DC's IPL 2024 campaign - batting in the middle overs.