David Warner returns to IPL after ball-tampering row

Steve Smith and David Warner were barred from participating in the Indian Premier League last year after their involvement in the ball-tampering row.

David Warner joined his Indian Premier League team on Sunday after missing out on the previous edition of the Twenty20 tournament over a ball-tampering controversy.

File image of David Warner. (Instagram)

Both Steve Smith and David Warner were barred from participating in the lucrative league last year after their involvement in the scandal.

The duo, who are serving one-year international bans that end later this month, recently joined the Australian team in Dubai as part of their reintegration after the scandal in South Africa that rocked the cricketing world.

Both players, who are also returning from elbow injuries, would be eligible for a part of the upcoming ODI series against Pakistan, but selectors decided it would be better to ease themselves back into form at the IPL.

Warner took to social media to thank his franchise for its “loyal support” all through his international ban, which ends March 28.

“Great to be back here in Hyderabad with @SunRisers I can’t thank the franchise and fans enough for your loyal support over the last 12months. Time to get back into it,” he wrote.

The “sandpapergate” scandal in Cape Town also saw opening batsman Cameron Bancroft banned for nine months.