David Warner reveals dark chapter of being blocked by Sunrisers Hyderabad, says “it hurt”

Delhi Capitals (DC) and Australian opener David Warner on Monday opened up on his unceremonious exit from his former Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad and described his departure from SRH as “bizarre”. Warner was speaking on the YouTube channel of Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. After playing for Delhi Capitals in the IPL from 2009-13, Warner was bought by SRH in 2014 and remained with the franchise until 2021.

However, despite winning the 2016 IPL with the franchise as captain and scoring a ton of runs for the Orange Army, the Australian experienced an unceremonious exit from the team, which came gradually. Firstly, he was sacked as captain midway through the 2021 season due to his poor form and consecutive defeats for SRH. After Warner missed five of the first six matches of the season, New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson was replaced as captain.

In the second half of the season, not only was Warner dropped, but the franchise also blocked him on social media. Sadness was clearly visible on Warner’s face, as he used to carry drinks for his team during the match. SRH finished at the bottom with three wins and 11 losses. Warner also performed poorly, scoring only 195 runs in eight innings at an average of 24.38 with two fifties and a strike rate of just over 107, which does not correlate with his more aggressive gameplay.

Speaking on Ashwin’s channel, Warner said that he was saddened by the behavior of the team management and him being blocked from social media as it was “hurt for the fans as well”, which Warner had really missed during his tenure with the franchise. Was considered important.

“It hurt because it was sad for the fans. The fans are the most important relationship you have. My bond with the fans and with the team was great,” Warner said.

“I’m not sure why I was blocked. But I connected with a lot of fans on social media for SRH. I felt it was my duty to connect with the fans, make sure they keep coming back. That’s the most important thing. But from a blocking standpoint, I don’t know. At the end of the day, I still have fans who come to my page and talk to everyone. So it’s great,” he said.

Warner’s stint with SRH made him an IPL legend and possibly the best foreign player to grace the league. In 95 matches, he scored 4,014 runs at an average of 49.56 and a strike rate of 142.59, which included two centuries and 40 fifties. His best score was 126. He not only won the IPL title for his team as a captain in 2016, but also won the ‘Orange Cap’ honor for most runs in a season thrice in 2015, 2017 and 2019, the most by any player. . batsman in league history.

Warner was bought by DC for Rs 6.25 crore ahead of IPL 2022. In 88 matches for DC, Warner has scored 2,550 runs at an average of 31.88 and a strike rate of 135.64, including two centuries and 22 fifties. His best score is 109*. However, he has not won any IPL title with DC.

In the 2024 season, Warner has scored just 167 runs in seven matches at an average of 23.85 and a strike rate of 135.77, with his only half-century being 52. He is currently out due to a finger injury and his team will play Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Tuesday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.