David Warner and IPL have become somewhat synonymous. Such has been the dominance of the Australian opener that it would not be an overstatement to call him one of the best overseas cricketers to have ever played IPL. With 4588 runs to his name in 124 innings, Warner is the highest run scorer of IPL among overseas cricketers and IPL 2019 hasn’t been any different. In running to grab the Orange Cup for a record third time, Warner is on the verge of breaking another big IPL record on Saturday.
If Warner manages to score a fifty against Rajasthan Royals at Jaipur on Saturday, then he would break Virender Sehwag and Jos Buttler’s record for the most consecutive fifties in IPL. Warner is currently tied with both Sehwag and Buttler with five consecutive fifties. His last five innings in IPL 2019 were 57 against CSK, 67 against KKR, 50 against CSK, 51 against DC and 71* KXIP.
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Sehwag had the same run in IPL 2012, while Buttler took the last IPL by storm by scoring five back to back fifties.
Warner now has the chance to go past them against an Archer-less Royals, who have struggled to keep the batsmen quiet this season. Warner though doesn’t have the best of records against the likes of Unadkat and Kulkarni. Warner has a strike rate of mere 66.67 against Unadkat and a 103.17 against Kulkarni. However, the kind of form Warner is in, one should definitely back him to break the record.
{{/usCountry}}Warner now has the chance to go past them against an Archer-less Royals, who have struggled to keep the batsmen quiet this season. Warner though doesn’t have the best of records against the likes of Unadkat and Kulkarni. Warner has a strike rate of mere 66.67 against Unadkat and a 103.17 against Kulkarni. However, the kind of form Warner is in, one should definitely back him to break the record.
{{/usCountry}}SRH would hope that Warner can once again give them a good start and provide some breathing space to their middle-order. There will be added responsibility on him in the absence of Jonny Bairstow, who has flown back to England to attend England’s World Cup preparatory camp. Regular captain Kane Williamson, however, is expected to return to the playing XI against Royals.