When Harry Brook managed just 29 runs in his first three innings in IPL 2023, his price tag of INR 13.25 crore, which Sunrisers Hyderabad had used to rope in England's emerging star, was ridiculed. But SRH's move to shift Brook up the order as an opener, paid off of Friday night at the Eden Gardens as he smashed IPL 2023's first ever century. And legends of the game couldn't keep calm at Brook's carefully constructed masterclass against Kolkata Knight Riders. (KKR vs SRH Live Score, IPL 2023)
The standout feature behind Brook's thundering ton was not just his ability to switch gears from an aggressor to playing an anchor role and then back at it again, but also his thought behind targeting which variety of bowlers.
Brook had started off of a stunning note, scoring 39 runs in 17 balls in the powerplay. However, in his 72-run stand alongside skipper Aiden Markram, he had changed his role to being an anchor and allowed the South Africa batter to flourish in his 26-ball knock of 50, followed by Abhishek Sharma's 17-ball 32. He returned to his original role in the back end as he pulled off a 55-ball ton, laced with 12 boundaries and three maximums.
Another significant portion of his knock was that 66 runs of his 55-ball 100 came against pacers, in just 26 balls, while he managed only 34 off 38 against spinners. During Brook's struggle against spin, it was Markram and Abhishek who made the mockery of KKR's biggest strength.
{{/usCountry}}Another significant portion of his knock was that 66 runs of his 55-ball 100 came against pacers, in just 26 balls, while he managed only 34 off 38 against spinners. During Brook's struggle against spin, it was Markram and Abhishek who made the mockery of KKR's biggest strength.
{{/usCountry}}Here is how cricket fraternity reacted to Brook's century…
"I’ve had a bit of trouble with spin, but I wanted to use the powerplay to my advantage. So middle overs wanted to rotate strike and let the other boys do the hitting. It is a belter of a pitch, we need to bowl our lengths rightly and take wickets. We still got a job to do. My girlfriend is here but the rest of my family have just left, I’m sure they’ll all be very happy for me," said Brook after his knock helped SRH post a total of 228 for four. Brook did not just become the fifth England batter to score a ton in IPL and third overall from SRH, but also became the first ever batter to have a century in both IPL and PSL.