David Warner has been one of the most prolific run-getters in the IPL. With 5447 runs, David Warner is fifth on the list of the leading run-getters in the IPL but first overall in terms of overseas players.
Like many fans and experts, Brett Lee was in utter disbelief when he found out that David Warner’s name was not included in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Playing XI against Rajasthan Royals in Delhi on Sunday.
David Warner’s Axe From Playing XI Shocked Brett Lee
A day after being removed as captain of the team, David Warner was axed from the team as well, with the fourth overseas player’s spot going to Mohammad Nabi. Brett Lee was in shock to see his former Australia teammate not being part of the Playing XI as it remains to be seen how long he remains in exile.
“I’m actually shocked that Warner was not included in the XI. I know he hasn’t been playing his best form of cricket in terms of his strike rate this season but he’s always been there and there about with the Orange Cap party,” Brett Lee said during the Star Sports pre-match show.
Like Brett Lee pointed out, David Warner has been one of the most prolific run-getters in the IPL. With 5447 runs, he is fifth on the list of the leading run-getters in the IPL and the highest run-getter among overseas players.
With 50 half-centuries, he has the maximum fifties in the IPL history and he is the only player to have won the Orange Cap a record three times – in 2015, 2017, and 2019. Brett Lee said that the decision would not have left David Warner pleased, but all the Australia batsman can do for the time being is be a good sportsman and wait for his turn to come again.
Kane Williamson Appointed New Skipper Of Sunrisers Hyderabad After David Warner’s Axe
SRH announced early on Saturday that Kane Williamson will take over the saddle from David Warner. Experts initially speculated that the decision was rooted in the team’s last-place standing in the points table after almost half of the IPL 2021 season.
However, there is another opinion doing the rounds that David Warner’s statement after the match against Delhi Capitals, where he labelled the ‘selectors’ call to drop Manish Pandey ‘harsh’, could also be the source of his captaincy axe.
David Warner is not only the top scorer in SRH’s history, the 34-year-old has also led the team to their maiden IPL title (2016) and multiple qualifier finishes. Kane Williamson, on the other hand, marshalled SRH to a runner-up finish in David Warner’s absence in 2018.
The franchise is languishing at the bottom of the points table after just one win in their first six matches. Hyderabad brought in Afghan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi instead as the fourth overseas player in the playing XI, which also includes Englishman Jonny Bairstow and Afghan spinner Rashid Khan.
However, in Kane Williamson’s first IPL 2021 match as skipper, Rajasthan Royals were back to winning ways after registering a victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Match 28 of the VIVO Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Sunday.
Jos Buttler slammed his maiden IPL century, powering RR to a huge total of above 200 before the bowlers restricted SRH to 165 as RR won the game convincingly by 55 runs.
For Rajasthan Royals, Chris Morris and Mustafizur Rahman picked 3 scalps apiece as apart from the openers Manish Pandey and Jonny Bairstow, no other batsmen scored above 30 runs.
Brief Scores: Rajasthan Royals 220/3 (Jos Buttler 124, Sanju Samson 48; Rashid Khan 1/24) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad 165/8 (Manish Pandey 31, Jonny Bairstow 30; Mustafizur Rahman 3/20) by 55 runs.