It’s safe to assume that Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul will be the most sought-after cricketers at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction. All three were captains of their franchise, and in Shreyas’ case, he even got the Kolkata Knight Riders their first IPL trophy in 10 years. But are people sleeping on David Warner?
Earlier today, he was named captain of the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League (BBL). Although the BBL isn’t exactly on the IPL’s level, it’s still a reputed competition that features some of the best players. Given that at least 5 franchises need a captain, at least a couple have to settle for less than Pant, Shreyas, and Rahul.
This is where Warner might come in. The southpaw is one of the greatest IPL batters of all time. He’s got fewer runs than Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Shikhar Dhawan but averages more and strikes faster than them. He can hold his own with the bat despite slim returns last year.
Age factor
Now there are things in his favour and against him. Age is the biggest. He’s 38, and if a franchise is looking for a 3-year prospect, he might not be the best guy. But if a team is looking for a stop-gap solution, i.e., a captain for just this season, he’s the man. Warner’s already done that at the Delhi Capitals in 2023, albeit not so successfully. If Faf du Plessis can captain (39) until last season, why can’t Warner do it in IPL 2025?
Captaincy, tactics & more
We know captaincy in the IPL isn’t just about man management; you need to be on good terms with the owners as well. Warner has been in the league since 2009; he knows the ins and outs as well as anyone. He’s been on the good and bad side of the ownership and still thrived.
Tactics may not be his strongest suit, but he’ll maximise his team’s effort. He fights tooth and nail, giving it his all at every point. Fielding remains a strong point until now as well. But let’s get to the main point. It’s his captaincy record that stands out. He’s the 4th most-capped IPL captain of all time. Sunrises Hyderabad have won 1 title, which came under him in 2016. He knows how to lead a good team with superstars like Rashid Khan and Kane Williamson.
His recent phase with the Capitals wasn’t great, but they were missing key players like Rishabh Pant, and nothing seemed to be clicking for them. Unluckily, when Pant returned next year, Warner was sidelined for half of the season due to injury and couldn’t show what he could do.
David Warner’s record as IPL captain
| Span | Matches | Won | Lost | Win% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 2015-21 | 67 | 35 | 30 | 52.23 |
| Delhi Capitals | 2013-23 | 16 | 5 | 11 | 31.25 |
| Total | 2013-23 | 83 | 40 | 41 | 48.19 |
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