IPL 2021: David Warner ends speculation, confirms availability for second-leg in UAE

Australian cricketer David Warner has confirmed his availability for the second leg of IPL 2021, which is scheduled to be held in the UAE. The 34-year-old batsman turned to social media to upload a photo of himself in Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) jersey with the message "I will be back," announcing his participation in the second half of the premier T20 tournament. Warner's availability in the second leg of the IPL 2021 has been a question mark, as has the availability of other overseas players.

Earlier, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) mutually decided to postpone their upcoming bilateral series in order to avoid a clash with the IPL, thus making their players available for participation in the second leg. The New Zealand cricket board has also allowed its players to take a break from international cricket in order to participate in the IPL. NZC has left several players out of the roster for its series against Pakistan so they could go to the UAE to take part in the IPL. 

The second leg of IPL 2021 is scheduled to start from September 19 with the final slated to be held on October 15. The tournament will resume with the blockbuster clash between arch-rivals Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. 

Warner removed as IPL captain

Warner suffered a big setback in the first leg of the IPL 2021 after being relieved of his captaincy duties in the middle of the season due to the team's poor performance. In the penultimate match of the season, Kane Williamson, who led the side in Warner's absence in 2018, was reappointed captain of SRH. However, the season was postponed due to the COVID-19 situation in India and Williamson couldn't lead SRH in more than one game.

Warner has been SRH's most successful captain, having led the team to its first title in 2016. Warner is also recognised as one of the greatest IPL players of all time, thanks to his consistent batsmanship across several seasons. Warner is the most successful foreign player in the cash-rich tournament's history, trailing only Virat Kohli in terms of most runs scored. Between the 2015 and 2019 editions of the tournament, the Australian batting sensation was awarded the Orange cap three times.

Image: PTI