• Warner signs off from IPL with World Cup reminder

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    Australian batsman David Warner’s final innings in the ongoing Indian Premier League reminded South Africa and other opponents what to anticipate during the World Cup.

    Warner struck a brisk 81 which spanned a mere 56 deliveries and featured seven fours and two sixes in the Sunrisers Hyderabad’s 47-run victory over the Kings XI Punjab at the Ranjiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal on Monday. The Proteas’ David Miller, meanwhile, perished for just 11 in defeat.

    The hard-hitting left-hander capped a superb 2019 IPL campaign that yielded 692 runs in a dozen innings – currently the most among the eight franchises. He will soon return to Australia to prepare for the World Cup.

    The 32-year-old Warner hasn’t played international cricket in more than a year, after serving a ban for being involved in 2018’s ball-tampering scandal that marred Australia’s Test tour of South Africa. The suspension didn’t extend to domestic leagues around the globe, which afforded him participation in the Global T20 Canada, Bangladesh Premier League, Caribbean Premier League and IPL.

    He will likely feature in Australia’s XI for 1 June’s World Cup opening fixture against Afghanistan in Bristol. A month later, Warner will probably play against South Africa at Old Trafford in Manchester.

    Former captain Steven Smith served the same ban for ball-tampering – and will soon leave the Rajasthan Royals to join Warner and World Cup teammates in Australia, too.

    Photo: SPORTZPICS for BCCI

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