IPL 2022, Tale of Friends turning Foes: From Warner’s 92* against SRH to Kuldeep’s 8 KKR scalps
Tale of Players who did well against their old franchise that released them ahead of the IPL 2022 Mega Auction.
A mega-auction for Indian Premier League (IPL) was held in February 2022 in Bengaluru where many players went under the hammer. All franchises had to part away with several key players who were vital constituents of their setup for years together, before this event. This was due to the rule of retaining four maximum players before the auction.
Even when the players went under the hammer, to carry the right balance of the side while looking at the future, teams failed to grab most of the old members. It has somehow allowed the shifted players to make merry and prove their old franchises’ decision wrong during the 15th season of the marquee league.
Interestingly, some of the old players of particular franchises have just relished the opportunities of getting face-to-face with their old schools and held the audiences in awe due to their jaw-dropping and game-breaking performances.
Let’s relive some of the high quality fare dished out by these stalwarts.
David Warner sets the Sun for Hyderabad with an unbeaten-92
A fairytale story had grown up around the relationship of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) with Australia player, David Warner. Since joining the side back in 2014, the dynamite batter had piled up 4014 runs for the Orange Army in just 95 games besides leading them to the victory post in IPL 2016.
Warner was a bank for the Sunrisers, winning the Orange Cap in 2015, 2017 and 2019. But an odd last year, where Warner struggled with his form and managed to notch up just 195 runs in eight innings, saw him dropped from the side. But obvious, the relationship too got affected as Hyderabad neither retained him nor went for him in the auction.
SRH’s loss was Delhi Capitals’ (DC) gain as the latter bought Warner for just INR 6.25 crores. It must be noted here that Delhi used to be Warner’s old franchise prior to 2014.
In DC’s encounter against SRH, Warner with his unbeaten 92 runs, blew away his old side. After losing two early wickets, Warner rescued the Capitals with a 48-run partnership cobbled up with skipper Rishabh Pant.
He clubbed Umran Malik, the fastest bowler of the season, around the park for 23 runs including three fours and one six. Later, he stitched another partnership of 122 runs with Rovman Powell. Warner registered his fourth fifty of the season, before murdering the opponents in the end as Delhi went on to win by 21 runs.
“I didn’t need e