Warner returns with a bang, takes SRH to 181/3

Making a stupendous comeback, David Warner produced a scintillating 85-run knock to propel Sunrisers Hyderabad to a competitive 181 for three against Kolkata Knight Riders in their IPL match, here Sunday.

Putting behind the embarrassing ball tampering scandal, that kept him out last year, Warner smashed three sixes and nine boundaries in his 53-ball knock.

Vijay Shankar also made a fine return to the Oragne Army with a quick-fire unbeaten 24-ball 40 (2x4, 2x6) after Warner departed in the 16th over.

Warner's 37th IPL fifty also made him the first cricketer in IPL to have most 50-plus scores (40) ahead of Virat Kohli (38) as the Aussie also has three centuries.

His new opening partner Jonny Bairstow complemented well by giving the rampaging left-hander the maximum strike as the duo raced to 100-mark in 10.5 overs in their massive 118-run opening partnership.

Having opted to bowl, the otherwise disciplined KKR attack looked clueless against the rampaging Warner who was let off twice while on scores of 21 and 68 by Robin Uthappa and skipper Dinesh Karthik respectively.

Karthik's captaincy looked over-defensive and lost the review to Warner early in the second over, while SRH made full use of the DRS by overturning a decision against Bairstow.

Thereafter there was no looking back for Warner who batted as if he was never out of action and pierced the gaps at ease with successive boundaries against Piyush Chawla and Sunil Narine to unsettle the otherwise disciplined KKR spinners.

Warner brought his fifty with a six against Andre Russell and then went on to smack India frontline spinner Kuldeep Yadav for his second six.