David Warner's 3 best knocks in the IPL against MI
The Delhi Capitals (DC), led by David Warner, have gotten off to a rocky start to their IPL campaign, losing their first three matches by a wide margin. They will look to open their account against the only other winless team in the competition, Mumbai Indians, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Tuesday, April 11.
While the Capitals' start has left fans with plenty to ponder, the skipper's batting tempo has been the biggest worry.
Warner is the IPL's all-time third-highest run-getter with over 6000 runs at an excellent average of 42.23 and a strike rate of 140. This season, however, Warner has been scoring at an alarmingly low strike rate of 117 and has struggled to accelerate even after getting set in all three matches.
The three-time Orange Cap winner will hope to turn his and the team's fortunes around in their second home game against the stuttering Mumbai Indians.
Historically, the 36-year-old has done well against MI, with an average of 40 and a strike rate of 140. One of the keys to Warner's success against the Mumbai Indians has been that he has never been dismissed by MI's spearhead Jasprit Bumrah in the IPL.
Warner has played a vital role in victories against Mumbai, averaging an incredible 58 at a strike rate of 137.
As we look ahead to the Delhi-Mumbai clash, let's revisit three of David Warner's best knocks in the past against the Mumbai Indians.
# 1 David Warner's 90 off 59, Hyderabad, 2016
The 2016 edition of the IPL will always be considered the pinnacle among David Warner's impeccable achievements.
In a scintillating season, Warner scored 848 runs at an average of 61 and a strike rate of 151 and finished second only to Virat Kohli in the Orange Cap race. He also captained the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to the title that year.
One of David Warner's best moments of the season came in Match No. 12 in Hyderabad against the defending Champions Mumbai Indians. Despite restricting MI to 142-6 in their 20 overs, the SRH batters found the going difficult due to the sluggish nature of the pitch.
However, Warner looked to be in no trouble from the start as he made a scintillating 90 off just 59 deliveries with seven 4's and four 6's. The dashing left-hander ensured SRH won convincingly in the end with seven wickets and 15 balls to spare.
Warner was adjudged the Man of the Match as he scored almost 65% of the team's score.
# 2 David Warner's 85 off 58, Sharjah, 2020
The final league match of IPL 2020 saw the Sunrisers Hyderabad take on the defending champions and table-toppers Mumbai Indians at Sharjah. In a must-win situation to qualify for the playoffs, skipper David Warner led from the front in dismantling the MI attack in a potentially tricky run chase.
After being set 150 to win by MI, Warner took matters into how own hands. With able support from Wriddhiman Saha, he scored a scorching 85 off 58 balls to lead SRH to a ten-wicket victory.
The win ensured that SRH finished third in the points table and qualified for the playoffs for a fifth successive season. Overall, Warner had another stellar season, scoring 548 runs in 16 matches.
# 3 David Warner's 65 off 51, Dubai, 2014
David Warner moved to Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2014 after five seasons with the Delhi Capitals between 2009 and 2013. In one of his first matches for the franchise, the Australian opener played an innings of great versatility against defending champions Mumbai Indians in Dubai.
Having been asked to bat in the middle order for better team balance, Warner scored a brisk 65 off 51 balls to take SRH to a formidable score of 172-5 in their 20 overs. The Sunrisers then defended their total successfully to win by 15 runs.
Warner played much of the season at No. 4 and scored over 500 runs for the first time in his IPL career.