“He kind of messes up a lot of things” - KKR all-rounder backs England teammate’s ban ahead of IPL 2025

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Moeen Ali backed the BCCI's decision to impose a two-year ban on England batter Harry Brook from the IPL. Brook withdrew from the IPL for a second consecutive season, stating England commitments.

It meant that the new policy kicked in and ruled Brook out of the IPL auction for the next two years. The 26-year-old was acquired by the Delhi Capitals (DC) for ₹ 6.5 crores at the IPL 2025 mega auction in an attempt to beef up their middle order with the departure of Rishabh Pant.

Talking about BCCI's ruling on Brook on the Beard Before Cricket podcast, Ali said (Via Indian Express):

“It’s not harsh. I kind of agree with it, in a way, because a lot of people do that. A lot of people have done it in the past, and then they come back in and they end up getting a better financial package, or whatever it is. And he kind of messes a lot of things up as well at the same time. I mean, it’s messed his team up, obviously, by pulling out."

He added:

"Any team that loses Harry Brook is messed up a bit, and they’ve got to now rejig everything and stuff like that. Forget him for a second, but if you do pull out, the rule is that you get a ban unless it’s for family reasons or… due to injury or something. If it’s injury or something, it’s different. But I think if you just pull out, then it’s… I kind of agree with the teams. You actually mess a lot of stuff up."

With less than a week left before the 2025 IPL seaason starts, DC are yet to name a replacement for Brook.

"I don’t think it’s harsh" - Adil Rashid

Harry Brook's current England teammate Adil Rashid echoed Moeen Ali's sentiments and backed the BCCI's ruling to ban the talented batter for the next two years.

Rashid and Brook were part of England's dismal showing in the recently-concluded 2025 Champions Trophy.

"They actually put that rule in place before, and then this happened. So, you know when you’re going in, this is the rule. So when you put your name in, you know if you pull out, this is going to happen. So you know the consequences of it. So I don’t think it’s harsh," said Rashid.

Brook played the lone season in 2023 for SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), finishing with just 190 runs at an average of 21.11 in 11 outings.