5 interesting things to know about Harry Brook, SRH's ₹13.25 crore pick at IPL 2023 Auction
Harry Brook was one of the most expensive picks at yesterday's IPL 2023 auction in Kochi. Brook was among the batters present in the opening set of the mini auction. He received some extra benefits because almost all the franchises were looking to make their first signing at the mini auction.
Former champions SunRisers Hyderabad expressed a strong interest in Harry Brook and eventually signed him for ₹13.25 crore. Fans should note that Brook has never played an IPL match before.
The England batter entered the IPL 2023 auction with a base price of ₹1.5 crore. Rajasthan Royals were the first team to bid for him. Royal Challengers Bangalore joined in next, and RCB and RR were involved in a bidding war. The price shot up to ₹5 crore in no time.
SunRisers Hyderabad then entered the race with a bid of ₹5.25 crore. RR and SRH had an intense bidding war, which ended with Hyderabad securing the England player's services for ₹13.25 crore.
Not many Indian cricket fans would have an idea about Harry Brook's career before his mega IPL deal. In this listicle now, we will look at the five interesting things you need to know about SRH's new recruit.
#1 Harry Brook won 2 Man of the Series awards against Pakistan this year
Harry Brook was a part of the England squads that visited Pakistan for a Test and T20I series earlier this year. England won both the series, and Brook won the Man of the Series award in both formats.
Brook was the top run-scorer in the Test series with 468 runs in three matches. Notably, he maintained a strike rate of more than 90 in the three Tests. In the T20I series, Brook scored 238 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 163.01.
#2 Brook has scored only 1 T20I fifty
When SunRisers Hyderabad spent ₹13.25 crore to sign Brook, most of the fans may have felt that he must have an excellent T20I record. However, the same is not true.
While Brook is exceptionally talented, he has registered only one T20I fifty in 20 matches. His highest T20I score is 81.
#3 He can bowl medium pace
Harry Brook is not just a hard-hitting batter but also a right-arm medium-pace bowling option. The England player has scalped eight wickets in 60 first-class matches of his domestic career.
As far as the T20 format is concerned, Brook has scalped one wicket in two innings. Fans should be aware that his economy rate is 13.
#4 Brook is yet to play ODI cricket
While Brook has played brilliantly for England in Tests and T20Is, it is pertinent to note that he has yet to represent his nation in the 50-over format.
Brook has played only 15 List-A matches in his career, scoring 343 runs at an average of 31.18. The right-handed batter has played 60 first-class games and 99 T20s.
#5 Brook will play for another IPL team-owned franchise soon
Harry Brook will be playing for Joburg Super Kings in SA20.
Before making his IPL debut for SunRisers Hyderabad, Brook will represent the CSK-owned Joburg Super Kings in the SA20. JSK signed him at the SA20 auction earlier this year.
It will be exciting to see how the England player performs for his new franchise. He was a member of England's squad that won the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, and he hopes to win more trophies with his new teams.