Comparing Rohit Sharma and David Warner's records in T20 World Cups
Two of the greatest white-ball openers the game has seen, Rohit Sharma and David Warner are coming into the T20 World Cup 2024 with a similar timeline and pressure factor on their performance. Both are arguably in the twilight of their career, with Warner likely to retire from international cricket after the tournament.
There has been some debate about whether the likes of Abhishek Sharma and Jake Fraser-McGurk deserved to get a chance to express themselves. But both India and Australia have backed Rohit and Warner's experience respectively even when the two nations had the aforementioned fearless options to explore.
With the 2024 edition likely to be the last dance of both Rohit Sharma and David Warner in T20 World Cups, let's take a look at how they have fared in the showpiece event over the years:
Rohit Sharma vs David Warner - How do the numbers stack up?
Rohit Sharma is the only player who will feature in every edition of the T20 World Cup ever since the inaugural one in 2007 when he was a part of the victorious Indian team.
In 39 matches he has scored 963 runs at an average of 34.39 and a strike rate of 127.89 with nine half-centuries to his name. His highest score of 79* came against Australia in Barbados during the 2010 T20 World Cup.
David Warner, on the other hand, has scored 804 runs in the 34 T20 World Cup matches that he had played, at an average of 25.19 and a strike rate of 133.22. While Warner has a much lower average than that of Rohit, the veteran Southpaw wins the battle in terms of strike rate.
Rohit Sharma vs David Warner - The Impact
While Rohit Sharma hasn't quite been able to hit the ground running in the previous few editions of the T20 World Cup, his contribution to India winning the T20 World Cup in South Africa remains invaluable. He began his T20 career as a finisher and that's where he had a massive impact in his debut innings against the proteas.
In a virtual knockout game, Rohit scored a fine half-century and helped his team not just progress to the semis but also eliminate South Africa in the process. His cameo of 30* off just 16 balls against Pakistan in the final is another contribution that goes under the radar, especially with the margin of victory being just five runs.
David Warner was going into the 2021 T20 World Cup on the back of a rough time in the IPL season with the SunRisers Hyderabad. The IPL winning captain was dropped to the bench, but that did not affect Warner's contribution for the Aussies.
The southpaw scored 289 runs in the tournament, the second-most in that edition and at a strike rate of 146.70. This saw him win the Player of the Tournament award as Australia clinched their maiden T20 World Cup crown.
Conclusion
Both Rohit Sharma and David Warner had their moments in T20 World Cups even if their overall numbers seem to be modest. The duo were crucial to their respective teams when they won the title and their experience will be handy to their teams when their tournament commences in the West Indies and the USA.
From impactful players to experienced campaigners, Rohit and Warner both having a good tournament will directly improve the chances of India and Australia to win their second T20 World Cup crown.