IPL Auction 2022: 3 teams that should not target David Warner as their skipper
David Warner is set to part ways with SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) and enter the player pool for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction next month. That is, unless he is snapped up by one of the two new franchises.
After seven years with the franchise, Warner had a fallout with SRH during IPL 2021 and made posts on social media that indicated that he has indeed played his final game for them.
The mega auction will see existing franchises given four retentions each, while the two new franchises -- Lucknow and Ahmedabad -- will get to pick three players each from the remaining players.
David Warner is an IPL veteran and since joining SRH in 2014, he has failed to cross the 500-run mark only last season.
Warner has also enjoyed success as a captain, leading them to the title in IPL 2016.
The two new franchises as well as some existing franchises like Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will now be looking for a captain.
Warner offers great brand value. He fired himself into form in the T20 World Cup, with two fine half-centuries, including a swashbuckling unbeaten 89 against the West Indies.
Warner's bound to be in heavy demand and will be a huge asset for whichever team he ends up for. But does he fit the bill for every franchise?
On that note, here are three teams that should not target David Warner in the IPL 2022 mega auction:
#1 Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians (MI) had a poor outing in IPL 2021, failing to make the playoffs, but they are a well-organized team and are expected to bounce back strongly.
They will look to retain their core, including captain Rohit Sharma, but will have to rebuild their team at the mega-auction.
Rohit Sharma, who has just been given captaincy duties for India in T20 Internationals (T20Is), is expected to continue leading MI, and hence they will most likely not target David Warner.
They also have Ishan Kishan and Quinton de Kock as left-handed openers to partner Sharma. With both having served the team well, it is likely that one of the two will surely end up in MI for the next season, ruling Warner out as a potential buy.
#2 Chennai Super Kings
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) won their fourth IPL title in 2021 and veteran captain MS Dhoni, who has led them since the inception of the tournament, has hinted he is not done yet, despite age being a concern.
Even if IPL 2022 is Dhoni's last year for them, CSK would want to invest in a younger player as captain so that he can lead them for a long period and get sustained success, like Dhoni did.
Warner does not fit this bill, as he himself is 35.
CSK's opening slots also look booked, with Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis both finishing on top of the run charts at the end of the season. Gaikwad pipped Du Plessis by a single run for the Orange Cap.
CSK would do better investing in middle order players and their bowling department than bringing in another opener, assuming they retain Gaikwad and Du Plessis.
#3 Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals (DC) currently have two young Indian leaders in Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer. The latter captained DC to their maiden IPL final in 2020 while Pant led them to the playoffs in 2021, with Iyer missing half a season with injury.
DC would ideally look to hold on to both players. But even if one does leave, they will definitely stick with the other as skipper.
Pant and Iyer are both young and will only get better with age and DC would not want to take away the captaincy from either.
If DC do let go of one of their openers in Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw, they may be tempted to go for Warner as a player, but a captaincy role is unlikely for him in Delhi.