IPL 2019: David Warner's memorable farewell performance dashes hopes of Kings XI Punjab
David Warner bid goodbye to IPL 2019 with a staggering 692 runs and an astounding average of 69.20 in 12 innings. Considering the fact that he was banned for a year, this is unbelievable and just goes on to show the mental strength and skill the man possesses.
Warner blossomed once again in his adopted city of Hyderabad as he smashed 81 of 56 balls against Punjab in his last game for the season. It is just astonishing to see this man, playing in orange colours, always performing, irrespective of whether his team wins or loses and Monday was no different. He grabbed the limelight with both hands in his last game and clobbered the Punjab attack in vintage Warner style.
Saha gave Warner the ideal support with a swashbuckling 28 off 13 balls and then it was Manish Pandey who stood by the Australian southpaw as the pair put on a classy 82-run partnership. What differentiates Warner from the rest of the batsmen in the IPL is his running between the wickets. He converts ones into twos with ease and that just helps him build his score tally.
Warner's head position this year has been a vital factor as well. He is much more still now before the ball is bowled and that allows him to focus and hit the ball cleanly. Without a doubt, he is the most consistent batsman the IPL has ever produced and season after season we always see the Orange Cap sitting pretty on his head.
At one stage, 230 looked on the cards for SRH but some brilliant death over bowling from Punjab restricted SRH to 212 which was still a mammoth score to chase. Punjab needed the duo of Gayle and Rahul to fire but in the early stages of the chase, Gayle skied one in the air and was brilliantly caught by a diving Manish Pandey. That set the tone for SRH and they had the run rate in check throughout the innings.
KL Rahul was the danger man and he delivered with 79 off 56 balls but considering the match situation, he was very slow to get off the blocks. When you are chasing 213, you don't have time to settle in and the number of dot balls that Rahul consumed cost Punjab in the end. Pooran came in and tried to up the rate with an entertaining cameo but SRH stuck to their plans and with the help of some brilliant catching, they kept pegging away at the wickets.
Rashid Khan put in another stellar bowling performance, picking up three wickets for just 21 runs in his four-over quota. Rashid's economy rate has been remarkable throughout the tournament but on Monday he was also picking up wickets and his spell was the turning point as he snubbed Punjab's chances for victory. After getting hit by Watson a couple of games ago, Rashid has fought back brilliantly and that is why he is the best bowler in the world. He always learns from his mistakes and looks to come back stronger.
This is the second season in a row where Punjab have started off brilliantly but then tapered off towards the back end of the tournament. Their fast bowling again was extremely disappointing and their batting was top-heavy as usual.
Ashwin has been very proactive and thought outside the box as a captain but it won't work all the time and sometimes it's just better to keep it simple. There have been some solid performances from Punjab this year but they will be extremely disappointed in failing to reach the playoffs again. They will need to strengthen their middle order and fast bowling next season if they want to try and reach the pinnacle of the IPL.
SRH are still alive this season and although they will be missing their explosive openers for the rest of the season, they still have a chance to make the playoffs. They will be hoping that Guptill comes in and fires away and if their bowlers can repeat Monday's performance consistently, then they will have every chance to qualify. The team balance was spot on with Mohammad Nabi and Abhishek Sharma strengthening all the departments with their all-round ability. Warner will be truly missed but he has given his side some hope with another stellar season.