“I felt that I had my rhythm back again,” says David Warner after leading Delhi Capitals to victory
David Warner has stated that he has found his groove again after leading the Delhi Capitals to their first IPL victory. With four half-centuries from six innings, the veteran opener has the second highest runs tally in IPL 2023, but his tournament strike rate of 120.76 has been reason for concern as Delhi began their season with five successive defeats.
We never stop believing in this dressing room 😌
🎥 | Head Coach Ricky Ponting and the boys reflected on the key takeaways from our first win in #IPL2023 💪#YehHaiNayiDilli #DCvKKR pic.twitter.com/8YdUtzXqJJ
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) April 21, 2023
“We didn’t lose three wickets in a row. There are going to be a lot of critics out there to suggest that I haven’t been batting the way I normally bat. But when you lose three wickets in a row in two overs, and I faced three balls, what can you do? You can’t really do anything. You have to have some sense of responsibility. Just like little Bangalore. You know if I get out, people would have criticised me getting out but that’s just the game, that’s how it is,” Warner explained to his critics who questioned his strike rate in the prior games.
We would be lying if we say we didn't miss this 🥺
Thank you, Davey 🤩❤️#YehHaiNayiDilli #IPL2023 #DCvKKR @davidwarner31 pic.twitter.com/mYtwS3v7zw
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) April 21, 2023
“In the nets ,it is very difficult to practice (short pitched bowling) and even in Australia we don’t practice playing short balls. It’s my feeling that if you practice short ball all the time in the nets, you become tentative in match. It’s a reaction skill you have to remember. The bowler gets to bowl only one (short ball) max per over. That’s a good thing for batters,” he explained about playing the short ball.
However, the 36-year-old answered with his most fluid innings of the season on Thursday night, taking on Sunil Narine in a 41-ball 57 that included 11 boundaries, four of which coming off the Trinidadian finger spinner. Warner achieved his half-century in 33 balls, which was at least ten balls faster than his previous three IPL milestone performances.
A Captain's knock that got us our first points of the season 🤩
David Warner is our #Greenpanel Most Dynamic Force for his impactful 57 runs in #DCvKKR 👏#YehHaiNayiDilli @off_greenpanel pic.twitter.com/6nsO2zyx3r
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) April 21, 2023
The left-hander has gradually found his stride since returning from a head injury and a fractured elbow endured during the second Border Gavaskar Test against India in February, and in spite of some criticism, he was named to Australia’s squad for the World Test Championship Final and Ashes series this week.
Warner has still to hit a six in the IPL 2023, but he keeps trying to solidify his position as the competition’s most prolific overseas hitter of all time, with 42 fours, 13 more than the next highest, and 285 runs at 47.50, only surpassed by Faf du Plessis’ 343 at 68.60.
