BPL 2019: A right-handed David Warner wields the willow in Sylhet

Gayle could do nothing, but look on helplessly.

Published - 16 Jan 2019, 20:35 IST | Updated - 16 Jan 2019, 20:35 IST

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When David Warner plies his trade in the middle, there’s no dearth of excitement. He hasn’t had much to cheer, leading the Sylhet Sixers in this edition’s Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). The Sixers have lost quite a few matches and are languishing at the bottom half of the points table. Warner didn’t drop his guard and churned out an unbeaten knock of 61 runs from 36 balls with six fours and two sixes.

In the meantime, the 32-year-old decided to churn out something extremely unique in the match between the Riders and Sylhet Sixers at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. After the Riders won the toss and elected to field first, Warner came to bat at number three, promoting Sabbir Rahman to open the batting with Liton Das, and scored his maiden BPL half-century in just 33 deliveries.

Warner turns right-handed

In the 19th over, Chris Gayle was introduced into the attack and he conceded only a couple in his first three balls, two of which were dots. Warner strained to time the ball as the part-time bowler got the measure of the Aussie batter. Thereafter, from the blues, Warner did something unfathomable and took his guard as a proper right-handed batsman in the fourth delivery of the penultimate over.

Gayle became a little surprised and he churned out a juicy half-volley from around the wicket. Warner didn’t lose his shape by any means and smacked the ball over the bowler’s head for a humungous over-boundary. The Windies’ tweaker came from over the wicket and bowled a full-toss on Warner’s leg. The batsman knelt down and swept the ball down to square leg without any trouble whatsoever.

Gayle could do nothing, but look on helplessly. Warner, in jubilation, smacked the bat on his legs and then broke into an impromptu dance. In the meantime, the crowd and Warner’s teammates from the dugout clapped for him. In the last ball, Warner brought out the reverse-sweep and the leather evaded the fielder at the short fine leg region to speed away to the boundary. Audacious from David Warner!