During a recent Instagram live chat with the Indian limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma, the 33-year-old Australian opening batsman David Warner has claimed that India is the hardest condition to play for him.
David Warner is one of the greatest openers in Australian cricket history. After making his international debut in 2009, Warner has played 84 Tests, 123 ODIs and 79 T20Is where the left-handed batsman has scored 7244 runs (average 48.94), 5267 runs (average 45.80) and 2207 runs (average 31.52). Though Warner has faced many controversies in his career, mostly due to his inappropriate behaviour, he is undoubtedly one of the incredible left-handed batsmen.
Warner played an important role for Australia to win the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, where he scored 345 runs in eight matches with an average of 49.28. He was also the second-most run-scorer in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 (647 runs), finishing just one run behind of the leading run-scorer of the tournament Rohit Sharma (648 runs).
During his recent Instagram meeting with Rohit, Warner claimed that he loved to play against India in India as it became his hardest challenge.
Warner said, “I love playing against India in India, everyone is against you. It is the hardest condition for us to play in, you have more motivation to succeed.”
In India, Warner has played 22 international matches where the left-handed batsman has scored 827 runs in 30 innings (average 28.51).
David Warner also credited the IPL
Warner also praised the Indian Premier League (IPL), which he feels a good platform to learn the cricket for both Indian and overseas cricketers.
Warner claimed, “IPL has enabled cricketers in getting to know each other, it has been fascinating for us to know all you guys. A lot of players in India get to learn from you guys.”
In the IPL career, Warner first served for the Delhi Daredevils (2009-2013), and now he is playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) from 2014. He has now returned to the captaincy role of SRH while the team won their first IPL trophy under his captaincy (2016).
After playing 126 IPL matches, Warner has scored 4706 runs (average 43.17), including four centuries and 44 half-centuries. At present, he is the most run-scorer in IPL history as a foreigner. He is the only cricketer to win more than two Orange Caps in IPL history as the left-handed batsman has won it for thrice (2015, 2017 and 2019).