IPL 2021 | Nobody explained to me why I was dropped as captain: David Warner

Australia batter David Warner endured a pretty tough time in IPL 2021 with Sunrisers Hyderabad. He was dropped from the first team midway into the season owing to his poor batting form. Warner scored just 195 runs this season at a meager average of 24.37 and strike-rate of 107.73.

Warner was sacked as the captain as well and Kane Williamson was subsequently appointed as the skipper. There were matches during which Warner wasn’t even allowed to travel with the team to the ground. Instead he was asked to stay back at the hotel.

The southpaw has continuously expressed his disappointment over such treatment by the franchise on social media and he vented out the same once again in an interview with Sports Today.

“The disappointing thing for me was not being explained why I was dropped as captain,” Warner told Sports Today.

“I think if you want to go along the lines of form, it’s a difficult one because I guess whatever you’ve done in the past would have some weightage moving forward, especially when you’ve played 100 [95] games for the franchise,” he added.

Warner has been highly successful both as a captain and batter ever since he joined SRH. He led them to their maiden IPL title in 2016 and has taken them to the playoffs in every edition since then, except 2021.

He has the most runs in the IPL among overseas batters. Warner has 5449 runs to his name at an excellent average of 41.59 and strike-rate of 139.96.

“I had four bad games, two run-outs in that, on slow and low wickets in Chennai. It’s difficult, a bitter pill to swallow but I don’t think I will ever get answers and must move on. It’s time to look forward, there’s another auction coming up. I’d love nothing more than to represent Sunrisers still, but the decision remains with the owners and what direction the franchise wants to go in,” the 34-year-old explained further.

It looks like Warner’s time with SRH is truly over. He thanked the fans in an Instagram post and the fall out with the franchise suggests the same. He might go into the auction pool ahead of the IPL 2022 season and if he does, there will still be plenty of interest in him from other franchises.