After Pulling Out of IPL 2025, Delhi Capitals Star Set to Be Named T20 International Captain
After withdrawing from Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Delhi Capitals (DC) star Harry Brook is set to be named England’s T20I captain.
The English batter was bought by DC for INR 6.25 crore in the IPL 2025 auction. However, he withdrew from the tournament, leading to a two-year ban from the IPL.
Brook Likely to Lead England in T20s
According to The Telegraph, Harry Brook is likely to become England’s new T20 captain, while he is still competing with Ben Stokes for the ODI captaincy.
Jos Buttler stepped down as England’s white-ball captain in February after a disappointing Champions Trophy campaign. Brook, who was Buttler’s vice-captain, is a key player in all formats but had a tough time in India and Pakistan earlier this year. He also pulled out of IPL 2025 to focus on his England career.
England’s management is expected to name Brook as the T20 captain ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup in India. However, the ODI leadership is still undecided, with both Brook and Stokes in contention.
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Stokes’ Fitness a Key Concern for England
The team management has to think about Ben Stokes’ fitness, as he is still recovering from another hamstring injury. They also need to see if giving him the ODI captaincy could affect his Test performance, especially with big series against India and Australia coming up. Another issue is that he has not played much white-ball cricket lately, as he skipped both the IPL and the Hundred this year.
Earlier, Rob Key told ESPNcricinfo that they are considering all possibilities to select the most appropriate captain. He added Stokes is one of the better leaders he has ever witnessed, hence it is reasonable to consider him. However, they also need to consider how this decision may influence other issues and concentrate on selecting the right individual to lead the team in the future.
“I think nothing’s off the table. You look at every single option and you think, ‘what is the best thing to do?’ Ben Stokes is one of the best captains I’ve ever seen, so it’d be stupid not to look at him. It’s just the knock-on effect of what that means. You’re just looking for the best person, really, someone who you think can take this forward,” Key said via ESPNCricinfo.
Stokes played a crucial role in England’s triumphs in the 2019 and 2022 World Cups, but he has not featured in an ODI since 2023 or a T20I since 2022, focusing mainly on Test cricket in recent years.
Meanwhile, Brook impressed as stand-in captain during an ODI series against Australia last September when Buttler was injured. The management values his tactical awareness, and many see him as a future Test captain after Stokes.
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