Harry Brook struck the first century of the IPL 2023 as Sunrisers Hyderabad held their nerves to ward off a spirited challenge from Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens on a sultry Friday evening.

Chasing an extremely challenging 229 for victory, KKR were restricted to 205-7 in their 20 overs, handing SRH a 23-run win. Brook, the 24-year-old Englishman, who has taken the cricket world by storm thanks to his consistency since his debut last year, stayed unbeaten on 100 off 55 balls. His innings was laced with 12 boundaries and three sixes.

In a post-match interview to JioCinema, Brook said: “The crowd today was phenomenal. My experience in the IPL so far has been one to remember. I was doubting myself in the last few games but to go out there with a little bit of mentality that I don’t care was really nice to have come off.” Brook credited England coach Brendon McCullum for his aggressive approach towards batting. He also loves playing golf and revealed he has found a new partner in Brian Lara who joins him on the course.

Eoin Morgan showered rich praise on Brook, saying: “It was simply sublime from Harry Brook. We’ve seen this now for a couple of years at home both in England and for Yorkshire and even in The Hundred. He just continues to get better and better and better. And it’s across all three formats. For everybody seeing him for the first time tonight, he does this every time in Test matches. He is as aggressive in a T20 game as he is in Test matches and it is great to watch.”