Why is David Warner not playing today's GT vs DC match in IPL 2024?

In a significant blow to the Delhi Capitals (DC), veteran opener David Warner has been ruled out of Wednesday's IPL 2024 match against the Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Warner was struck on his left hand after missing an adventurous ramp shot against Lucknow Super Giants' Naveen-ul-Haq on April 12. He struggled to keep going afterward and got out playing one back to his stumps against Yash Thakur.

On Wednesday, DC head coach Ricky Ponting said although nothing serious was found in the X-ray scans, David Warner's participation was dependent on whether he could clear a fitness test on match day or not.

"David (Warner) did have an X-ray after the last game. That X-ray came back all clear. But, he's got a lot of swelling around the knuckle on his left hand. We'll give him a fitness test tomorrow morning, and keep our fingers crossed that he's okay," Ponting said.

David Warner hasn't looked anywhere close to his best in IPL 2024, scoring just 166 runs in six matches at an average of 27.67 and a strike rate of 138.33. His performances have mirrored DC's outings as despite the win over LSG, the team is struggling to get out of the bottom half of the table.

---

Who has replaced David Warner in DC's playing 11?

DC haven't made a lot of changes in their playing 11. After winning the toss, Rishabh Pant decided to bowl first and said all-rounder Sumit Kumar replaced Warner in the starting XI. However, that's likely to be the case for just the first innings.

When DC come to bat in the second innings, one of the bowlers would likely make way for one of Abishek Porel or Kumar Kushagra as the Impact Player.

Delhi Capitals (Playing 11): Prithvi Shaw, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Tristan Stubbs, Shai Hope, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Axar Patel, Sumit Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, and Khaleel Ahmed.

Impact Subs: Abishek Porel, Lizaad Williams, Kumar Kushagra, Praveen Dubey, and Lalit Yadav.