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Happy Birthday David Warner: Throwback To When He Led SRH To IPL Title Win Vs Kohli In 2016

Jatin

David Warner & Virat Kohli [Source: @Hurricanrana_27/x.com]David Warner & Virat Kohli [Source: @Hurricanrana_27/x.com]

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Today is the 38th birthday of one of the most explosive openers in world cricket, David Warner. Right from his swashbuckling knocks for Australia to breathtaking performances in the IPL, Warner has truly been a crowd-puller.

While there are innumerable memories associated with David Warner, one which still remains as shining as bright gold was in the final of IPL 2016, where he had led Sunrisers Hyderabad to their very first title, getting the better of Royal Challengers Bangalore.

As Warner turns 38, let’s take a look at the time when Warner captain SRH to glory by beating RCB.

Warner's Blistering Knock Set the Tone

The stunning IPL 2016 final was a high-scoring affair and the Aussie stalwart was right at the heart of it. Batting first on the high-scoring surface of M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Warner was in the mood to party.

Smashing 69 runs off just 38 balls, Warner led from the front like a captain and seemed like a man possessed. His 63-run opening stand with Shikhar Dhawan and an important 38-run partnership with Yuvraj Singh set a good platform for SRH. The southpaw’s knock made sure Hyderabad was on course to that kind of start.

Cutting's Late Fireworks

The innings had begun to meander after Warner's wicket in the 14th over. However, Ben Cutting turned it around in the death overs. His 15-ball 39 came out of the blue and catapulted SRH past the 200-run mark.

Cutting's three sixes in the final over against Shane Watson were the icing on the cake as SRH plundered 52 runs off the last three overs and posted a colossal total of 208/7.


Gayle and Kohli Threaten SRH

Chasing a target of 209, the opening combine of Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli from RCB looked as if born to win it. While Gayle led the charge with eight huge sixes in his 76, Kohli's blistering fifty kept the chase alive.

Their 114-run opening stand was stuff of nightmares for any bowling side. It was a case of cat on a hot tin roof as bowlers scrambled for answers.

SRH Keep Calm To Notch a Win

Just when RCB was cruising, Cutting struck back with the ball, getting Gayle's big wicket. The game was turning out to be a hopeful one till that moment for SRH. It was followed by Bipul Sharma chipping in with the big scalp of AB de Villiers (5).

That was followed by Barinder Sran bowling Kohli (54) to pull the carpet from under RCB's feet. Despite Kohli's heroics throughout the tournament—a record-smashing 973 runs in 16 matches—the SRH bowlers made sure that RCB fell short by 8 runs, finishing at 200/7.

Warner Rises From The Shadow 

While Kohli stole most of the headlines that season, Warner wasn't too far behind in terms of consistency. The Australia stalwart smashed 848 runs in 17 matches at an average of 60.57 and a strike rate of 151.42. With nine half-centuries to his name, Warner was as steady as a rock as he proved why he is considered one of the best in the business.