Grieving Brook withdraws from IPL after grandmother's death

NEW DELHI : England batter Harry Brook has withdrawn from this year's Indian Premier League (IPL) following the death of his grandmother, the 25-year-old said.

Brook pulled out of England's recent 4-1 series defeat in India after his grandmother, whom he described as his "rock", fell ill.

"Now that she has passed my family and I are grieving and I need to be around them," the Delhi Capitals player said in a social media post on Wednesday.

"Over the last few years I have learned to prioritise my mental wellbeing and that of my family's, honestly nothing is more important to me than my family.

"So whilst this may come as surprising to some, I know it's the right decision for me," he wrote.

"I'm young and hope to have many, many more years of cricket to come which I intend to make the absolute most of."

Delhi bought Brook for $482,776 for this year's IPL, which begins in Chennai on March 22.