"I didn’t think I’d get picked up for that much" - Harry Brook stunned at bagging ₹13.25 crore IPL deal
Rising England star Harry Brook admitted his struggle to understand how he fetched such big bucks in the IPL 2023 mini-auction. The right-handed batter revealed that he wishes to live up to the hefty price tag and feels the tournament will be a good preparation for the World Cup.
Brook, who has a T20 strike rate of 148.38, entered the IPL auction for the first time and kept his base price at ₹1.5 crores. Eventually, the Englishman fetched ₹13.25 from the SunRisers Hyderabad, who had a tussle with the Rajasthan Royals and the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
SRH SEALS HARRY BROOK FOR 13.25 CRORES 🤑💵
#CricketTwitter #IPL #srh https://t.co/4SvuIhHHNQ
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Brook said he never thought he would fetch that much and while the 23-year-old termed playing in the IPL as a bonus, he said it's not the 'be all and end all.'
"I’ve not got many words, to be honest. I thought I’d get picked up, but I didn’t think I’d get picked up for that much. One thing I would say is that I’m not motivated loads by money. Obviously, it’s a nice touch, but I just want to play cricket for the best teams and play for England as long as I can. Yes, the IPL was a big dream for me and the money is a big bonus, but it is not the be all and end all. I play because I love batting."
When asked whether the youngster will be worth the investment, Brook said everyone can find out after the tournament and thinks his ability to play spin well got him an IPL contract.
"I’ll be able to tell you that after the IPL, won’t I? I want to be a match-winner, that’s something I’ve always said, and batting in the middle order, one of the main aspects of my game is trying to chase down scores."
He added:
"It might have been a different story if I hadn’t done so well in the Tests in Pakistan, but I played spin fairly well out there and there will be a lot of that in the IPL. The World Cup is in India this year too, so there will be plenty of spin to face in the coming months, and different challenges."
The Yorkshire batter sizzled in England's Test tour of Pakistan, scoring a hundred in all three games to finish 468 runs at 93.60. Brook's efforts also earned him the ICC Player of the Month award for December.
"I don’t think we’re going to change" - Harry Brook ahead of the Ashes
Brook further claimed that England won't be altering their aggressive approach in Test cricket ahead of the Ashes series, given their unparalleled success. The right-handed batter underlined that the last few months have been most fun while playing and added:
"I don’t think we’re going to change. Why would we? We have lost one Test match out of 10, beaten Pakistan 3-0 on their own patch, something no other team have managed, and that is a phenomenal achievement."
He further said:
"It’s probably the most fun I’ve had playing cricket. Baz and Stokesy had given me that much confidence going out there, and I had such confidence in the team, that I felt like we were going to win any way, so it didn’t matter what I did."
The 2023 international fixtures for our England Men's and Women's sides have been announced, including two Ashes series against Australia.
Fixtures and ticketing information ⬇️
Ben Stokes and co. will be looking to regain the urn when the Ashes starts on June 16 at Edgbaston.