Sunrisers Hyderabad announced Thursday that Australian opener David Warner would be the team’s new skipper in the upcoming season of Indian Premier League. Warner takes over from New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson, who led the side in their last two campaigns.
In a video posted by SRH, Warner, who led the team to the title in 2016, said he was thrilled and thanked Williamson and Bhuvneshwar for leading the team in his absence.
“I’d obviously thank Kane and Bhuvi for the way you guys led throughout the last couple of years. You guvs have done an outstanding job and I’d be leaning on you guys for support and your insight to the game as well,” Warner said.
“And to the management, thank you very much for once again giving me this opportunity and I’ll be doing my very, very best in trying to lead us to lifting that IPL trophy once again. And, Sunrisers fans… looking forward to seeing you guys outside the fortress,” Warner added.
Warner was banned from the IPL’s 2018 season due to his involvement in the ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town. But the Australian returned to the tournament last season with 692 runs in 12 matches at an average of 69.20. He scored one century and 8 fifties and had a strike-rate of 143.86.
As far as the captaincy stats are concerned, Warner possesses a slightly better win-loss ratio for SRH having won 26 of the 45 matches he has led the team in. Williamson, on the other hand, has won 14 of 26 games as the skipper of Hyderabad.
Williamson also found breaking into the SRH squad tough last season as Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan occupied the overseas quota. It remains to be seen how the veteran Kiwi superstar is slotted in the team this season.
