IPL 2017, Captain's Corner: David Warner (SRH), Pocket Dynamo
What David Warner lacks in height, he makes up for in aggression and power. The Aussie is leading Sunrisers Hyderabad from the front.
Highlights
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David Warner is the skipper of Sunrisers Hyderabad
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They are the defending champions
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Sunrisers have won both their matches in IPL 10
Sunrisers Hyderabad and their previous avatar of Deccan Charges did not have a very auspicious record in most of the previous nine Indian Premier League tournaments, a complete failure compared to the other franchises. Right from their inception, Deccan Chargers could not make it to the top of the table. Under Kumara Sangakkara, they had won 4 matches out of 9. In 2013, they were re-christened Sunrisers Hyderabad and Sangakkara led his team to the play-offs. After many trial and error methods, David Warner was named the captain in 2015. Since he took over as captain, Hyderabad seems to have written a new chapter in their book of failed attempts. Warner like his predecessors too failed in debut season as captain but came back with a bang and lifted the coveted trophy for the first time in 2016.
With a strike rate of more than 140, Warner has won 20 out of 33 matches with a win percentage of 60. En route to winning their first two matches against RCB and Gujarat Lions, Warner reached a landmark of 7000 T20 runs -- joining the likes of Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum.
Running a riot last year, Warner finished second in the list of highest run-getter behind Virat Kohli - over-shadowed by AB de Villiers. Continuing his assault this year, Warner has already scored 90 runs with a strike rate of 169.81.
Compare and Contrast: David Warner vs Shikhar Dhawan/Darren Sammy
Warner in his new found role has brought about a new face of aggression in the team and skillfully taps his players to ensure that capacity reflects on the field. Along with this, he juggles his bowlers, which does not allow the batsmen to settle.
As far as Dhawan and Sammy are concerned, they followed the rule-book pointers to captaincy. Given the fact that Sangakkara and Sammy were seasoned players and captains too, a bit more was expected of them.
On the other hand, Dhawan ran out of idea on-field and went blank with his team.
With Tom Moody as their coach and Warner as their captain, SRH look to extend their winning run and retain the trophy.