IPL 2018: Why David Warner's ban is a big loss for Sun Risers Hyderabad

Post Sandpaper Gate, Steve Smith and David Warner are perhaps the most vilified players in world cricket now. How the heroes have fallen, is what everyone seems to be discussing for some time now. After all, these are men who ruled Australian cricket not too long ago.

While a teary-eyed Smith in some ways regained a lot of lost sympathy, the same is not true of his veteran deputy. Over the years, Warner’s bullish attitude and on-field sledging have not endeared him to opposition players and spectators. In fact, former England captain Nasser Hussain summed it up beautifully when he said Warner has sledged everybody except the Indians as that would have potentially affected his IPL contract.

The IPL is, of course, one of the biggest tournaments in the cricketing calendar today and Warner will rue missing out on the 2018 season. But let us not forget that it is also a big loss for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) as Warner has been invaluable for them over the years.

A stellar IPL career

Some of the most successful IPL captains have always led by example, scoring runs or picking wickets, to lead their teams from the front. Of course, the names of Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne come to the mind. But what Warner has done for SRH is no different and he has played as valuable a role as his fellow countrymen.

In his IPL career, Warner has scored 4014 runs for SRH at an average of 40.54. Since 2013, he has been one of the most consistent players for his franchise, coming away with stellar averages and piling up the runs.

His most successful season so far has been in 2016 when SRH lifted their maiden IPL trophy. Warner led from the front, scoring 848 runs at an average of 60.57 and only losing out to Virat Kohli in the race for the orange cap.

When SRH were reeling from back-to-back losses at the beginning of the season, it was Warner himself who resurrected their campaign with a match-winning 59-ball 90 in the third match against Mumbai Indians that ultimately set the ball rolling for the franchise that year.

Even in the qualifier that year, it was almost a solo effort from Warner, with his 58-ball 93 being the only innings of significance from the SRH camp but ultimately proving to be enough to see them through.

Repeating his heroics in the final, he scored a 38-ball 69 that helped SRH post a mammoth 208 which proved to be too much for RCB in the end.

In 2017, he was the highest run-getter with 641 runs at an average of 58.27. He had also hit the most number of fours (63) and second highest number of sixes (26) that season.

The gap left behind

Warner, in many ways, is irreplaceable in the SRH camp and the Hyderabad side will be hard hit by his absence. A captain of that calibre who consistently performs and leads his side by example is very difficult to replace indeed.

And it is not just his consistency but also the rate at which he scores that makes him one of the most deadly IPL openers. IPL teams have systematically tried out pinch-hitters at the top – not a surprising move in the context of T20 cricket – and found moderate success. What Sunil Narine did for KKR last season is a prime case in point.

But the biggest difference in case of pinch-hitters like Narine is that they are not specialist batsmen and they do not have a responsibility to score runs. Any run they score is a bonus, which is why they are sent out at the top with the proverbial license to kill.

David Warner, however, is different. He is one of the most important batsmen in the SRH line-up and he has a big responsibility to score runs as well as get his team off to a good start. The fact that he manages to do it consistently while scoring at the rate of a pinch-hitter all the time is what makes him so special.

Kane Williamson will have a job on hand as he takes over the mantle of captaincy from Warner for this season. But Alex Hales, who has been named as Warner’s replacement, is expected to take on his role of being the pinch-hitter at the top. However, he will have a humongous task ahead of him if he is to replicate Warner’s numbers and consistency.

When asked about the impact Warner’s absence could potentially have, SRH coach Tom Moody tried to downplay the issue. “The success we had in the auction, we managed to get the depth and balance that we wanted. Therefore, losing an impact player like David Warner, we have managed to fill, we can still get the balance we want, still have the impact that we want in the top six,” he said.

It is true that SRH has the squad depth to make up for Warner’s absence but do they have anyone who can walk into his shoes to lead from the front and score big runs at that strike-rate at the top of the order? Only time will tell.