DC vs SRH: I didn’t need extra motivation to play against Sunrisers, says David Warner

Century stand 👌
Clinical finish 💪
Pre-game rituals 🤔

Assistant Coach @ShaneRWatson33 joins batting stars @davidwarner31 & @Ravipowell26 to sum @DelhiCapitals' win over #SRH. 👍 👍 – By @RajalArora

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In a chat with assistant coach Shane Watson, Delhi Capitals David Warner said he didn’t need extra motivation to play against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.

“I didn’t need extra motivation, we’ve seen what’s happened before, it was good to get the win,” said the Australian.

“It’s a really nice wicket, I’ve had some success here. I knew if I played my strokes, it was going to come off,” he added.

Watson asked Warner, “Do you think you’ll have the same fire in your belly for the next couple of games as well?”

A knock worthy of all the praise it got and more 💙#YehHaiNayiDilli | #IPL2022 | #DCvSRH | @davidwarner31#TATAIPL | #IPL | #DelhiCapitals pic.twitter.com/TCAmKAcZT4

— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) May 6, 2022

“I’ve always got fire in my belly, you know that Shane,” Warner replied.

David Warner started confidently and creamed three fours and a six at the top as 21 runs were conceded off Umran Malik’s first over.

On taking on Umran Malik, who he targetted right from the ball 1, Warner said: “I had faced Umran plenty of times on the nets. I know what I was going to expect. If you back your extinct, you will have the success. For me it was going into the right position, going with the pace, That was my game plan.”

The broadcasters tried to create the hype with Warner playing against his former franchise, who he led to the IPL title in 2016. “This is a grudge match for David Warner,” Kevin Pietersen said on commentary.

But it seems like the former Sunrisers skipper was in the zone and he didn’t show any emotion when he reached his 54th IPL half-century. Warner raised his bat to his dugout, handle-side up and held just beneath the shoulder as if it were a baton or a torch.

Undefeated at Brabourne, and the 𝒋𝒐𝒔𝒉 continues to be 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉 🙌#YehHaiNayiDilli | #IPL2022 | #DCvSRH#TATAIPL | #IPL | #DelhiCapitals pic.twitter.com/ZPPO8NlHEt

— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) May 5, 2022

Last night during the post-match presentation, Harsha Bhogle asked Warner directly: “You didn’t need motivation today. I look at you and I still think Sunrisers sometimes, to be honest.”

“I didn’t need extra motivation. We’ve all seen what’s happened before in the past and it was just to get a win on the board and get back in this contest,” Warner said.

However, Warner celebrated Rovman Powell’s fifty with a lot more passion. We’ll never know how much emotion Warner would have released if he’d got to the century, as he remained off strike for the entire 20th over, in which Rovman Powell took 19 off Umran.

Things you love to see 💙🤳🏻#YehHaiNayiDilli | #IPL2022 | #DCvSRH#TATAIPL | #IPL | #DelhiCapitals | @davidwarner31 pic.twitter.com/RZBculUU1r

— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) May 5, 2022

“I wanted him to get to a hundred, but he asked me to hit as hard as I could, and wasn’t bothered about his own hundred,” Powell said during the innings break. Warner ended on 92 off 58, Powell, meanwhile, blitzed six sixes in his 67 off 35.

When Warner was asked about not going for a century, he said: “100%. And I said to him I’m running two, no matter what and I don’t care if I get run-out. If we get 200-plus…I thought 190 was a par score but anything over 200 was good and I said to him if he was there at the end, we could get 210-220. So I’m just glad he cleared the fence in the last over.”

Meanwhile, after winning five games, the Sunrisers have lost three on a trot. Sunrisers will now lock horns with Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday afternoon, while later that day, Delhi Capitals will face Chennai Super Kings.