Former captain of the Delhi franchise of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Virender Sehwag slammed Delhi Capitals captain David Warner for his knock against the Rajasthan Royals at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. Despite winning the toss, Delhi conceded 199 runs against the inaugural champions before managing only 142/9 in their quota of 20 overs.
Delhi skipper David Warner was the top-scorer for the franchise and scored 65 runs in the match. However, in a run chase where the team was required to score at 10 runs an over right from the outset, the southpaw failed to score runs at the right tempo and consumed 55 balls to score those many runs.
Post his knock which came at a strike rate of less than 120, Sehwag minced no words in criticising Warner's innings and even told the Australian star to take a leaf from RR opener Yashasvi Jaiswal's books who had scored a half-century off 25 balls to help his side off to a flier.
"I feel it is time that we tell him in English now so that Warner listens to it and feels hurt. David, if you are listening, please play well. Score 50 in 25 balls. Learn from Jaiswal, he hit it in 25 balls. If you cannot do that, do not come and play in the IPL," Sehwag said on Cricbuzz.
"It would have been better for the team if David Warner got out for 30 runs, rather than making 55-60. Players like Rovman Powell and Ishan Porel could have come out much earlier and maybe could have done anything. No balls were left for those players, and they are big hitters in team," he added.
The defeat was Delhi's third on the trot in IPL 2023 while the second win in three matches for Rajasthan. With this RR's home matches at their adopted home in Guwahati also came to an end as they won and lost a game each here and will now play their home matches in Jaipur.