Guwahati, April 8 David Warner has scored two fifties and 37 in the ongoing season of IPL 2023 and is now the orange cap holder in the tournament. But after his team Delhi Capitals crashed to a 57-run loss to Rajasthan Royals at the Barsapara Cricket Ground on Saturday, the left-handed opener stated that hes ready to give up his orange cap in exchange for a few wins.
Warner's 65 off 55 balls was the lone bright spot in a dull batting show as Delhi crashed to their third consecutive defeat of the tournament. With three wickets falling in the power-play, including Trent Boult's double wicket-maiden in the opening over, Warner was forced to delay his usual attacking route, before himself falling in the 19th over as Delhi made only 142/9 in 20 overs.
"I'll give that back (Orange) cap in a heartbeat for a couple of wins. When you are chasing 200, you got to start well in the powerplay and unfortunately, once again we lost early wickets. Can't take the credit from how good a bowler Trent Boult is in the powerplay and he bowled extremely well," the Delhi Capitals skipper said during the post-match presentation ceremony.
Warner was involved in a 64-run stand with Lalit Yadav in a bid to resurrect Delhi's sinking ship. But with the required run-rate soaring high, Delhi were always far away from chasing down 200 after being three-down in power-play.
"It was always going to be a challenge to come out here and chase 200 with early wickets in the powerplay. It is just about executing your skills and when you are getting out early like that; we had a couple of chop-ons in the last game," he added.
Delhi's next game is against five-time champions Mumbai Ind at their home ground, Arun Jaitley Stadium, on Tuesday. The Capitals skipper hoped his team could regroup in a bid to stay alive in the competition with wins.
"We are professional athletes, and have to go back in the nets. It's about executing, and hopefully we can regroup. It's always difficult when we are losing wickets at the other end. It is frustrating. I have been hitting a lot of the fielders of late, but I will keep going out there and back myself. 175-180 was par there," Warner said.
On the other hand, Rajasthan skipper Sanju Samson was a happy man in his team finishing off the Guwahati leg of their home games on a high. Though Samson fell for a duck, he said he will stick to the approach of going after the bowlers from the word go.
"The way I play the format, I do take a few balls to settle in, but mainly it is just to go out and express myself and get those 40-50 runs at a high strike rate, with Jos doing the other role of taking the innings deep. The roles are very clear. If we do those roles, it is very normal to get a few dismissals like this but I'll try to keep going," said Samson.
Samson the keeper produced a stunning catch in the start of Rajasthan's defence of 199/4, having Prithvi Shaw caught behind by flying in front of first slip to snap one with his right mitts, giving Trent Boult the first of his two wickets in the first over.
"It was a very funny moment. Just before the catch, I just felt I will take something like that. You get that feel. I just got that feel that I am going to catch it, and the very next second it happened," he said.
Samson signed off by saying that with Rajasthan having a lot of night games to play in the tournament, they will have to adjust quickly to bowling with the new ball and expects spin twins Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin to step up in the middle overs.
"Last game that we played here, it was like a swimming pool and we were struggling to maintain the dryness. With the dew coming in, we will be playing a lot of night games and will have to get used to it and the wet ball," the RR skipper said.
"We have that experience in Yuzi (Chahal) and Ash in the middle overs. He (Ashwin) reads the batters very well. He is always looking at the batters and getting the hints. They had a lot of left-handers and bowling Ash bhai a few overs were crucial," he added.
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