I Thought I Could Go Back The Old Way, Look At My Stats: David Warner On His Unceremonious Exit From SRH
Published - 04 Feb 2022, 10:59 PM
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Ace Australian opener David Warner had an amazing relationship with the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) franchise when he joined the team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2014. He was made the captain of the team the next season and he paid back the trust by helping SRH win the IPL in 2016, their only win in the history of the tournament.
However, things soured badly in the IPL 2021, as the team couldn’t adjust to the low and slow pitch in Chennai and David Warner was not doing his blazing best with the bat. Midway into the first half of the IPL 2021 which was played in India, Warner was dumped as the captain of the SRH team and replaced by Kane Williamson of New Zealand.
Warner not only lost the captaincy but also lost his place in the XI. He only got to play two matches in the second half of the tournament in UAE, scoring 0 and 2, and was dropped for good, indicating the franchise was done with their former captain.
Speaking on ‘The Brett Lee podcast’, David Warner pointed out that he did not feel compelled to give any statements back then after his sacking, as he had a stellar record in the competition.
He said: “Last year, it hit me when I lost the captaincy in the Indian Premier League. I thought I could go back the old way, look at my stats. I believe that I didn’t have to comment or do anything like that post that.”
David Warner is the all-time highest-scoring foreign batter in IPL history with 5449 runs in 150 matches at an average of 41.59 and a strike rate of 139.96. He has hit 4 centuries and 50 half-centuries along with 201 sixes and 525 fours.
“You Can’t Physically Prepare Yourself To Play In The IPL”- David Warner
The left-hander has been part of the IPL since the 2009 season when he joined the Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) franchise. He talked about the physical requirements to play in the IPL and the challenges an overseas player has to face while acclimatizing to weather conditions in India.
Warner stated that he prefers to run on the treadmill after being in the sauna for around 10 minutes and repeats the process over and over again.
“When you play T20 cricket in Indian conditions, it cooks your body and taxes your legs. You see, Maxwell’s IPL last year, he was cooked after three overs. If you are playing 14 games in the space of 60-70 days with training in between, you can’t physically prepare for that.
“I had seven days to prepare when I first arrived for the IPL. I would be in the sauna for 10 minutes and then run a kilometer on the treadmill and repeat the same. That was the only way I could prepare for the conditions and I’ve done it pretty much every time I’ve gone for the IPL,” he said.
SRH didn’t retain David Warner for the IPL 2022 and the left-hander will be seen in the IPL mega auction with a base price of INR 2 crores in the marquee players list. He will be one of the most sought-after players in the IPL 2022 mega auction with three franchises looking for a captain.
