“If he had played 50 balls, that would’ve been 50 balls wasted” – Harbhajan Singh takes a dig at David Warner’s strike rate

Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh has taken a dig at Delhi Capitals (DC) captain David Warner’s strike rate in the ongoing IPL 2023.

This came after the Australian opener departed for a two-ball duck against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) during their nine-run loss at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Saturday, April 29. Harbhajan reckons that DC would have lost by a bigger margin had Warner faced more deliveries.

For the uninitiated, Warner has scored 306 runs in eight IPL 2023 games at a sub-par strike rate of 118.6, including four half-centuries. However, the 36-year-old is currently DC's highest run-scorer this season.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Harbhajan Singh said:

“Warner was dismissed earlier today (vs SRH), which is why Delhi came so close. If he had played 50 balls, that would've been 50 balls wasted, and DC would've lost by 50 runs.”

The 42-year-old pointed out that Warner often puts the blame on other batters for their loss:

"Even now, when he comes to presentations, he says about other players' mistakes. But what have you done? You didn't show any intent; you scored 300+ runs but look at your strike rate. Warner hasn't done justice to his stature this year. His 300 runs are of no use to DC.”

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“It has been very disappointing” – Harbhajan Singh tears apart David Warner’s leadership skills

Harbhajan Singh further questioned David Warner’s leadership skills with DC currently languishing at the bottom of the IPL 2023 points table. He said:

"I don't think they can make a comeback, and the entire reason for that is captain. He didn't lead the side well, and then his form was an issue. It has been very disappointing.”

He added:

“Warner needs to look in the mirror, if he wants to find a reason for DC being at the bottom.”

It's worth mentioning that DC have so far won only two out of their first eight games in IPL 2023. They will next lock horns against defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, May 2.