The Rajasthan Royals’ think-tank gathered at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Kochi leading up to the December IPL auction with INR 13.2 crore left to spend. They had one player in mind to spend it on: Harry Brook. However, stiff competition ensued, and the Sunrisers Hyderabad secured Brook for INR 13 crore. Royals’ chief executive, Manoj Badale, praised Brook’s rare talent and hoped he wouldn’t score too many against them. To confront Brook, Royals will need to qualify with three wins in four matches. Royals’ Adam Zampa may lose his spot to Obed McCoy, while Sunrisers may replace Brook with Glenn Phillips due to Brook’s recent lean form. Meanwhile, Sanju Samson has an excellent record against Sunrisers, and Royals have the most players with 200-plus runs this season. The match will take place on a dry surface with a hot climate on Sunday, and Brook will need to adopt a positive, attacking brand of cricket to succeed, according to Aiden Markram.
