Delhi Capitals lost their third match in a row as the David Warner-led side suffered a horror 57-run defeat to Rajasthan Royals. Skipper David Warner, who took over the reins for the season in the absence of Rishabh Pant, scored a half-century himself but didn’t impress critics with his pace of scoring runs as the team couldn’t get anywhere near Rajasthan’s total of 199 runs. Former Delhi Capitals captain Virender Sehwag, issuing a brutal message for Warner, urged the Australian batter to pull up his socks and score quicker runs, or else, “don’t play in IPL”.
Issuing a critical message, Sehwag urged Warner (65 runs off 55 balls) to score at a faster pace if he intends to help Delhi produce a turnaround in their form this campaign.
“I feel it is time that we tell him in English now so that Warner listens to it and feels hurt. David, if you are listening, please play well. Score 50 in 25 balls. Learn from Jaiswal, he hit it in 25 balls. If you cannot do that, do not come and play in the IPL,” Sehwag said on Cricbuzz.
“It would have been better for the team if David Warner got out for 30 runs, rather than making 55-60. Players like Rovman Powell and Ishan Porel could have come out much earlier and maybe could have done anything. No balls were left for those players, and they are big hitters in team,” he added.
Forme India batter Rohan Gavaskar had similar views as Sehewag, suggesting he can never imagine someone like Warner, who has over 6000 IPL runs to his name, playing the way he did against Rajasthan.
“If you are dismissed for 8 off 8, one can say okay he couldn’t find that rhythm. But you are the captain here, you have that experience. They showed that he was the fastest to 6000 IPL runs so you can never imagine him playing these knocks. David Warner would have been retired hurt by Delhi Capitals if he was not their captain. If this was a young Indian player, his tournament would have been over. It would have been his last match. Warner has to take responsibility for this loss,” the junior Gavaskar opined.
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