When it’s a team game, you shouldn’t ever be selfish. Putting the team first of one’s own personal milestones should be a player’s priority. This is what David Warner explained to Rovman Powell when the West Indian asked if he’d like the strike to complete his century.
Opener David Warner was on 92 off 58 balls when the last over of Delhi Capitals’ innings began against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday evening at the Brabourne. At the other end, on strike, was Rovman Powell who was tearing into the SRH bowlers, on 49 from 29 balls.
Realizing that Warner was just 8 runs short of a century, Powell asked the Australian if he’d want him to take a single and take the strike to reach the landmark. Warner straightaway told Powell to only look for boundaries and that’s how team games are played.
“I got winded at the end. I asked DW if I should get a single to allow his 100 but he told me, ‘that’s not how the game is played’, and told me to go big,” Powell told host broadcaster Star Sports after DC’s innings.
And did Powell go big as Warner told him to: playing all the six balls, Powell clattered for 19 runs in the last over (6, 0, 4, 4, 4, B1), and took DC’s score to 207. These 19 runs in the last over proved vital as Delhi won the game by 21 runs. Powell remained unbeaten on 67 off 35. This selflessness of David Warner won him applause from fans and experts.
Warner was in some mood today against his former team Sunrisers Hyderabad, completing his redemption after being met with a harsh treatment from the franchise last season.
In his entertaining knock, Warner crunched 12 fours and walloped 3 eye-catching sixes and bagged the Player of the Match award. This was the 89th half-century of David Warner’s T20 career, now the most in the world, going past Chris Gayle’s record of 88.
