English cricketer Harry Brook has confirmed that he won’t play in the upcoming Indian Premier League after the death of his grandmother who was a “rock” to him.

“I was so excited to be picked by Delhi Capitals and was so looking forward to joining up with everyone,” he said in a statement on Instagram before announcing his withdrawal from the lavish cricket league.

Brook, 25, had pulled out of England’s Test series in India in late January to be with his family. He had left the team during its preparatory camp in UAE.

“My attitude to life and love for cricket was shaped by her and my late grandfather,” he said while describing the impact of his grandmother on his life.

In the post, he also shared some of the pictures of his grandmother and in one of them, she was holding a trophy.

“When at home, there would hardly be a day go by that didn’t include seeing her. It makes me so happy that she was able to see me play cricket for England. I’m proud that she could collect some of the awards I have won over the last couple of years when I couldn’t be there and I know she enjoyed doing that.”

The right-handed batter is one of the big names among the young cricketers in the world. The swashbuckling cricketer was a key player of the Lahore Qalandars in the 2023 season of the Pakistan Super League.

His performance in the domestic cricket and international leagues earned him a spot in the national side and the IPL.

“Now that she has passed my family and I are grieving and I need to be around them,” Brook said and added that he has learned to his mental wellbeing and that of his family.

“Honestly nothing is more important to me than family,” he said, describing his decision as right for him.