Australia’s star batter David Warner had a bittersweet year in 2021, it was no less than a rollercoaster ride for the star opener. He had a forgettable season in the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League. The star opener was not just ruled out as the skipper of Sunrisers Hyderabad but was also dropped from the playing XI of the team.
However, Warner left everyone surprised as he bounced back into the form and helped his team lift the T20 World Cup. While the major achievement might have provided some respite to him but Warner was left hurt for the way he was treated by Sunrisers Hyderabad.
David Warner, who led the Hyderabad-based outfit to its maiden title win back in 2016, wasn’t happy with the manner in which he was discarded by the team. He was replaced by Kane Williamson as the skipper of the team.
Recently, speaking on the chat show Backstage with Boria, Warner finally opened up on what went wrong between him and the franchise. He revealed the thing that hurt him the most. He revealed:
“At the end of the day, whatever happens, cop it cop it on the chin. If you want to have those conversations, just have them. It’s not hard. Don’t shy away from them. I am not going to bite. I am going to sit here and accept that for what it is because you are not picking me in the team,”
He added:
“It was the pain that I knew was going to hit the fans. They are what makes a franchise. They grow your brand. The greatest teams in the world have icon players. I have been there for a long time. Kane Williamson has been there for a long time, so has Bhuvneshwar. You build a brand and you move forward with that brand..”
Warner further pointed out the significance of “icon players”, which helps in the growth of the franchise as a brand. He also talked about how the franchise endured a disastrous season in IPL 2021 as the team failed to make it to the playoffs. He said:
“They really felt it and it hurts me because I am passionate about where I play. I will connect in any way I can with the fans because I know how important fans are. Those kids in the playground wanting to be Sachin, Virat, myself, Williamson, Steve Smith – you name those players, they want to be us. We have to connect with them. If they see something like that, it hurts them,”
Also Read: These Hilarious Old Posts Prove That Shoaib Akhtar Is Super-Entertaining
