Former Sunrisers Hyderabad player begins intense baseball training ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026

Former Sunrisers Hyderabad player Harry Brook is back in the spotlight, but not for cricket this time. The England batter, who is currently banned from IPL auctions, was recently seen trying baseball during Spring Training with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Videos and pictures of Brook quickly went viral, showing him inside a batting cage as he tried to hit a baseball. Known for his attacking style in cricket, he looked keen to understand the different skills and techniques required in baseball.

This was only a fun experience and not a career move, but it showed Brook’s interest in exploring other sports and learning something new beyond cricket.

Watch the video here:

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Harry Brook’s IPL Absence 

The sight of Harry Brook at Spring Training came at a time when people were already talking about his absence from the IPL. The 27-year-old will not play in IPL 2026 after being banned under a new rule.

This rule was introduced by the BCCI. It says that if a player enters the auction and then pulls out after being picked, he can be banned for two seasons. Brook had pulled out of the IPL more than once after being bought by teams. Because of this, he is now one of the first overseas players to face this ban.

The rule was made because teams were unhappy when players withdrew at the last moment. It affected their planning and preparation for the tournament.

See also -Harry Brook scripts records with 57-balls ODI hundred in SL vs ENG 3rd ODI

Brook Still Key for England

Even with this IPL setback, Brook remains an important player for England. He is known as one of their most exciting batters. In the T20 World Cup 2026, he scored 235 runs in the tournament and also made a century in the Super Eight stage.

His recent baseball session with the Philadelphia Phillies showed a fun side of him. It also showed how cricket and baseball share some similar skills, like timing, hand-eye coordination, and powerful hitting.

For now, Brook is focused on cricket. But this moment gave fans something different to enjoy, as they saw a top cricketer trying a new sport while his IPL future is on hold.

Check the full SRH schedule and venues

The IPL 2026 will start on March 28 with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru playing against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. After that, the Orange Army will play two away matches and one home match in the first phase of the tournament. Check their full fixtures here:

SRH vs RCB: Sunrisers Hyderabad will start their IPL 2026 campaign with a big match against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The match will be played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 28 at 7:30 PM. In past matches, SRH has a small lead with 14 wins, while RCB has 11 wins. Still, playing against RCB in the first match will be a tough challenge.

SRH vs KKR: On April 2, SRH will travel to Kolkata to play against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens. SRH has not done well against KKR in the past, winning only 10 matches and losing 20. They will try to improve their record against a new KKR team.

SRH vs LSG: SRH will play their third match at home against Lucknow Super Giants. The match will be held at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium. It will be an afternoon game, and the pitch usually supports high scoring. Both teams have strong batting, so it could be an exciting match.

SRH vs PBKS: On April 11, SRH will play against Punjab Kings at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium in Mullanpur. SRH has a good record against Punjab and also won their last match in 2025.

SRH squad for IPL 2026: 

Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (WK), Aniket Verma, R. Smaran, Shivang Kumar, Pat Cummins (C), Liam Livingstone, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kamindu Mendis, Jack Edwards, Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Shivam Mavi, Eshan Malinga, Brydon Carse, Zeeshan Ansari, Sakib Hussain.