'I Still Send Texts To Shane Warne': New Zealand Star's Emotional Admission About Late Spinner
The Australian spin legend, who passed away in March 2022, left the cricketing world in shock and deep sorrow.
- Ish Sodhi admires late Shane Warne and texts his old phone number about performances
- Sodhi played alongside Warne for Rajasthan Royals in the 2010 IPL season
- “I send Warnie a text every now and then with a video of the flipper that I have got a wicket with," he said
New Zealand spinner Ish Sodhi recently made an emotional revelation about his deep admiration for the late Shane Warne. The Australian spin legend, who passed away in March 2022, left the cricketing world in shock and deep sorrow. His immense legacy continues to inspire players globally, but Sodhi has taken his admiration a step further. The 33-year-old, who is currently the third-highest wicket-taker in T20Is, shared that he still sends text messages to Warne's old phone number, updating him about his performances.
Sodhi had the opportunity to play alongside Warne in the IPL with the Rajasthan Royals in 2010. During a recent conversation with ESPNcricinfo, he revealed that he often messages Warne's number about the flipper delivery he continues to work on.
“It's actually a ball that I have been working on for quite a while - it's an old-fashioned flipper, the same way Warnie taught it. When I was growing up, watching Warnie bowl the flipper was something I got addicted to watching. It hasn't been until probably the last couple of years of my career where I have actually started to use it a little bit more, but it's just my version of being able to bowl a ball that's slightly quicker,” Sodhi said.
“Sometimes I even send Warnie a text message every now and then with a video of the flipper that I have got a wicket with, and I'm like, ‘Warnie, wish you could see this!' Obviously, he's not receiving them, or he might be receiving them somehow. Because the couple of interactions that I had with him at Rajasthan Royals [Sodhi played for RR in the IPL in two seasons in the late 2010s], he taught me a few tricks around the flipper, so it's a shame that he can't see it come out.”
Sodhi is currently representing New Zealand in the T20 World Cup 2026. He recently played in the Super 8 match against Sri Lanka in Colombo, returning economical figures of 0/13.
New Zealand Cricket Team
Ish Sodhi