KKR wary of SRH’s guiding force David Warner
David Warner has enhanced his leadership qualities with some stellar captain’s displays to keep his Sunrisers Hyderabad side on course for a second successive Indian Premier League (IPL) triumph.
The Australia vice-captain has been at his attacking best in the Twenty20 tournament, where he has registered back-toback 600-plus run seasons.
David Warner’s consistency helped SRH finish third in the eight-team standings by the end of the regular season on Sunday. Sunrisers Hyderabad will be hoping Warner continues his rich vein of form when the side face Kolkata Knight Riders, who were fourth in the standings and are one of the IPL’s most consistent teams, in an elimination showdown on Wednesday.
Australia and Rising Pune Supergiant skipper Steve Smith’s side will, however, be without their talismanic allrounder Ben Stokes, who has to report for national duty with England ahead of next month’s Champions Trophy.
“We have got a couple of options that we can talk about. It is going to be a big loss,” Smith told reporters on Sunday. “Ben Stokes has been a big name. But hopefully, the other guys can step up.”
MAXWELL FLOPS
The Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians will be playing at their home Wankhede Stadium and will be keen to avenge two regular season losses to state rivals RPS on Tuesday, with the winner advancing to Sunday’s final in Hyderabad.
The third Australian captain in the IPL and an all-rounder, Kings XI Punjab’s Glenn Maxwell, did not have a great tournament, with his side finishing just outside the top four and coming under fire from former India opener Virender Sehwag.
“We always knew that when Maxwell fires, then he can win the match on his own,” Sehwag, the franchise’s director of cricket operations, said after Punjab missed out on playoffs.
“But he didn’t fire in eight or nine games. That is a big disappointment, especially since he’s experienced, having played for Australia’s Test and ODI teams.
“He didn’t take the responsibility as a captain and didn’t perform for Kings XI Punjab.”
We have got a couple of options that we can talk about. It is going to be a big loss. Ben Stokes has been a big name. But hopefully, other guys can step up. STEVE SMITH, RPS skipper