The veteran Australian opener David Warner has been appointed as the new captain of Dubai Capitals for the upcoming International League T20 (ILT20) tournament in Dubai, which will be held in 2024. He will be playing for the Sydney Thunder in the current BBL13 before flying to Dubai to lead the Capitals in the ILT20 2024 event.
The Dubai Capitals is a sister franchise to the Delhi Capitals of the Indian Premier League. Dubai Capitals made it to the playoffs in the first season of the ILT20 but lost to MI Emirates in the Eliminator. Yusuf Pathan was the captain of the team in the inaugural season. However, with Warner’s addition to the team, he may be heading the side as well.
David Warner joined the Capitals as a marquee player along with England’s speedster Mark Wood. He has previously captained SunRisers Hyderabad in the 2016 IPL and was the franchise’s top run-scorer with 848 runs. The Dubai Capitals team for the ILT20 2024 includes renowned players such as Sikandar Raza, Joe Root, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Rovman Powell, who can contribute to the team’s success in the tournament.
𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐥 in the 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦 🌪️🫡
Thrilled to unveil @davidwarner31 as the heartbeat of Dubai Capitals ❤️💙#SoarHighDubai #WeAreCapitals pic.twitter.com/m90gLGJMCu
— Dubai Capitals (@Dubai_Capitals) December 31, 2023
David Warner had a disappointing IPL 2023 season and has struggled to recover his form recently. The 36-year-old led the Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2023, and the team failed to advance to the knockout stages after only winning five games and losing nine games and could not make an impact for the team with the bat.
The Left-handed opener was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2021 T20 World Cup held in the United Arab Emirates. He scored 289 runs in seven innings and played a significant role in Australia winning their first men’s T20 title.
The 37-year-old is expected to retire from the longer format of the game following the conclusion of the test match against Pakistan starting on January 3 at his home ground, the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). In the series, he scored 208 runs in two matches, including a match-winning 164-run effort in the opening innings of the Perth Test.
Warner is unlikely to be selected for Australia’s upcoming white-ball series against the West Indies in February, which will overlap with the ILT20 2024 schedule.