England white-ball captain Harry Brook has spoken about the criticism he received during his only Indian Premier League (IPL) season with Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2023, saying he was caught up in scrutiny on social media. Brook scored 190 runs in the 2023 season despite making a century against Kolkata Knight Riders. His form dropped after that innings, and he came under pressure over his performances.
Looking back at that period, Brook said the attention around his IPL campaign affected him both on and off the field. "I got into a little bit of a rabbit hole with scrutiny and social media when I was at the IPL," Brook told BBC Sport. "It didn't help me as a person on the field or off the field. I decided to, not stay away from social media, but also not go out of my way to look at it." Brook said he now tries to view criticism differently, arguing that scrutiny can also show that people care about his performances. "On the other hand, I actually feel it's a little bit of a compliment if people are giving me scrutiny and have an opinion about my game. I know it's not a nice thing to see people slagging you off, but it means people care and people think I can put in a better performance than I have done that day," he said. Before his century against KKR, Brook had been criticised for his performances and said he was pleased to "shut up" supporters who were "slagging me off". Brook has not returned to the IPL since that 2023 season. He was released by SRH before Delhi Capitals signed him for Rs 4 crore in 2024. He then withdrew from the 2024 season following the death of his grandmother. DC bought Brook again for Rs 6.25 crore at the 2025 mega auction, but he pulled out of the tournament to prioritise his international commitments. Brook was subsequently handed a two-year IPL ban under the BCCI's rules. He is eligible to return to the league at the 2028 mega auction.