Rashid Khan wishes SRH mate David Warner luck for the World Cup; duo to lock horns on June 1

With the ICC World Cup scheduled to kick off in exactly a month from now, a lot of overseas players are heading back home from the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) for their respective national camps. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) is one of the teams which has seen players retiring midway through this season of the IPL and among them is David Warner. The Australian batsman who came back from a year-long ban last month had a terrific season and is withdrawing as the highest scorer in the fray.

Warner played his 12th and final match of the season on Monday against Kings XI Punjab. The dashing left-handed opener slammed 81 off 56 balls to help the SRH register a crucial 45-run win to inch closer to the playoffs. Warner has scored 692 runs this season at an average of 69 plus and a strike rate of 143 up.

Warner has hit one hundred and eight fifties in this IPL. His tally is the highest with KXIP’s KL Rahul ranked second with 520 runs in equal number of games. The SRH benefited from the dashing opening partners of Warner and Englishman Jonny Bairstow this IPL but now both have left.

SRH have two games left in the league

Warner’s mate in the SRH Rashid Khan wished him for the upcoming World Cup, playing in which seemed uncertain for the Australian even a few months ago. Eventually, the Australian selectors picked Warner, a former vice-captain, along with Steve Smith for the mega event to boost the side that did not have a great run until the recent series against India and Pakistan. Rashid also said that the orange brigade will miss Warner in the rest of the tournament. The SRH have two more league matches left and ideally would like to win both to make the playoffs.

“I took three wickets today and I was trying to be economical initially. Overall happy as it was a good team effort. It was a 175-180 kind of wicket so credit to our batsmen who did the job by getting 200-plus. In the previous games, I was bowling very full and hence I was punished. I had a chat with the coaching staff. I just tried to hit the good length areas in this match.

The way Warner played throughout the tournament was really amazing, we will miss him. Wish him best luck for the World Cup. Pleased that he’s leaving on a winning note. Hopefully the other guys in our team fill in his place and recover that area,” Rashid said in the post-match presentation ceremony in Hyderabad on Monday.

It can be noted here that Warner and Rashid will be in the opponent camps on the very first day they play in the World Cup. Australia, the defending champions, will take on Afghanistan in Bristol on June 1.

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