IPL: David Warner provides details on sacking as SRH captain; 'What hurt me the most...'

After a poor showing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 season, the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise decided to drop their former captain David Warner from the team. Prior to that season, he had been sensational for them, winning the Orange cap on three occasions and even leading them to the IPL trophy in the 2016 season. It came as a surprise to everyone when they decided to drop him not only as captain but also from the playing XI. Warner has now opened on how things played out with SRH and what hurt him most of all.

Speaking on the chat show Backstage with Boria, Warner said: "If you are going to drop a captain and then not pick him in the team after what he has done, what message does that send to the young kids in the team? What message does that send to the rest of the group? What hurt me the most is that the other guys are now thinking, ‘oh, this could happen to me’. At the end of the day, whatever happens, 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."

Warner SRH row: Former skipper says pain hit the fans as well

David Warner then said that the pain felt by him also hit the fans. He talked about the icon players in the team and how they are vital to an IPL franchise. He said that they really felt it because of his passion for the team. Warner said: "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. 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," the former Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper added.

Image: BCCI/IPL