IPL 2019: VVS Laxman reveals that David Warner had promised SRH coach Moody 500 runs this season

Sunrisers Hyderabad is sitting pretty at the 4^th spot in the IPL 2019 points table with 12 points to their name. They require just one win in their last remaining two matches to ensure a playoffs qualification and this they have done despite their famous bowling being taken seams apart by opposition batsmen and middle order woes. It was largely possible due to the opening partnership of David Warner and Jonny Bairstow.

David Warner was coming off a one-year ban for the ball-tampering scandal, during which he had played for numerous T20 leagues around the world and even grade cricket in Australia. He was not allowed to play in the IPL 2018, along with Steve Smith and suffered an elbow injury days before he was scheduled to play for SRH in IPL 2019. Despite all these problems, Warner completed his IPL 2019 journey with 692 runs in 12 innings with 8 fifties and one century.

Warner promised coach Moody more than 500 runs this season, reveals VVS Laxman

David Warner had captained Sunrisers Hyderabad to a title win in 2016 and had been impressive in IPL 2017 as well, scoring more than 800 runs and being second only to Virat Kohli’s 974 runs. This time, however, he was no longer captain with Kane Williamson taking over from him in IPL 2018, leading the team to the finals and this season Bhuvneshwar Kumar taking over from Williamson, who battled injuries.

But Warner was determined to make his IPL return worthwhile and Laxman reveals something impressive about the left-handed batsman. “We were in the middle of a shoot in Hyderabad when Davey messaged head coach Tom Moody, promising us 500 runs for the season. It was no empty boast. It’s one thing to set goals, but the determined manner in which Davey chased it down was wonderful to watch,” Laxman was quoted as writing in his column in Times of India.

Warner already had more than 500 runs each in his last four IPL seasons and now he leaves the franchise and the IPL season as the orange cap holder. “What can I say about Warner? He has had a turbulent year or so, made worse by an elbow injury and we were a little apprehensive at the start of the season that he might be a bit rusty. When the schedule was out, we all knew that he would be available for 12 games. He eventually signed off with 692 runs, one of the main reasons why we are in with a shot at the playoffs,” Laxman further writes.

Warner has become the fourth highest run-getter (4706 runs in 126 matches) in the Indian Premier League, behind Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma.

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