SunRisers Hyderabad, on Saturday, removed David Warner from captaincy and handed over the reins of the team to New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson for the remainder of the Indian Premier League.
Under Warner, SRH have lost five of their six games this season and the Australian hasn’t been in the best batting form in the ongoing edition. But given his stellar record for SRH, many would have imagined he would get a longer run.
“SunRisers Hyderabad would like to announce that Kane Williamson will be taking over the captaincy for tomorrow’s match and for the remainder of IPL 2021,” SRH said in a statement.
“The team management has also made the decision that they will be changing the overseas combination for tomorrow’s match against Rajasthan Royals,” it further said, indicating that Warner could be dropped from their playing XI.
“The decision has not come lightly as the management respects the enormous impact David Warner has had on the franchise over a number of years. As we face the remainder of the season, we are sure David will continue to help us strive for success both on and off the field,” the statement added.
David Warner captained SRH to their maiden tournament win in 2016. He was the second-highest run-scorer for them in their title-winning effort with a monumental 848 runs at a strike rate of 151.42.
He had a good IPL season in 2017 as well and returned back strong in 2019 scoring 692 runs in 12 matches. As captain in the 2020 IPL edition, he took Sunrisers Hyderabad to No.3 on the points table.
The left-hander is also their leading scorer, having won the Orange Cap three times in 2015, 2017, and 2019.
Warner's record as skipper
| Player | Span | Mat | Won | Lost | Tied | NR | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MS Dhoni | 2008-2021 | 194 | 115 | 78 | 0 | 1 | 59.58 |
| V Kohli | 2011-2021 | 132 | 60 | 65 | 3 | 4 | 48.04 |
| G Gambhir | 2009-2018 | 129 | 71 | 57 | 1 | 0 | 55.42 |
| RG Sharma | 2013-2021 | 122 | 71 | 47 | 4 | 0 | 59.83 |
| AC Gilchrist | 2008-2013 | 74 | 35 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 47.29 |
| DA Warner | 2013-2021 | 69 | 35 | 32 | 2 | 0 | 52.17 |
| SK Warne | 2008-2011 | 55 | 30 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 55.45 |
| V Sehwag | 2008-2015 | 53 | 28 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 53.77 |
| SR Tendulkar | 2008-2011 | 51 | 30 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 58.82 |
| R Dravid | 2008-2013 | 48 | 22 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 45.83 |
Warner’s personal form has been a problem. Towards the end of the 2020 season, he had started playing with more freedom but this season, he hasn’t managed to find his rhythm.
His SR of 110.28 has proved to be a big problem and SRH haven’t been helped by the injury to Bhuvneshwar Kumar either.
There are some who hope that without the added responsibility of captaincy, Warner might just go back to play as aggressively as he can.
Warner over the years
| Batting and Fielding | Mat | Runs | HS | Ave | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | 148 | 5447 | 126 | 42.22 | 140.13 |
| 2021 | 6 | 193 | 57 | 32.16 | 110.28 |
| 2020 | 16 | 548 | 85* | 39.14 | 134.64 |
| 2019 | 12 | 692 | 100* | 69.20 | 143.86 |
| 2017 | 14 | 641 | 126 | 58.27 | 141.81 |
| 2016 | 17 | 848 | 93* | 60.57 | 151.42 |
| 2015 | 14 | 562 | 91 | 43.23 | 156.54 |
| 2014 | 14 | 528 | 90 | 48.00 | 140.80 |
| 2013 | 16 | 410 | 77 | 31.53 | 126.93 |
| 2012 | 8 | 256 | 109* | 36.57 | 164.10 |
| 2011 | 13 | 324 | 77 | 24.92 | 117.39 |
| 2010 | 11 | 282 | 107* | 28.20 | 147.64 |
| 2009 | 7 | 163 | 51 | 23.28 | 123.48 |