'For me, Warner is the X factor' - Mohammad Kaif extols Delhi Capitals skipper

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has showered praise on Australia opener David Warner calling him a legendary batter of the Indian Premier League. Warner, who led Sunrisers Hyderabad to IPL victory in 2016, will be seen leading Delhi Capitals in the upcoming season in the absence of Rishabh Pant.

Showering praise on Warner, Kaif said that he can win matches single-handedly for his team and called him the biggest strength of Delhi. The southpaw has recently recovered from an elbow injury he suffered during the four-match Test series against India in February.

“The team's strength for me, I'll always say is Warner. He is the kind of player that, whenever he's in form, he can win matches single-handedly. Warner probably never gets the credit he deserves but he's proven to be a legendary batter in IPL history,” said Kaif on Star Sports.

He further called him the X-factor for Delhi Capitals as he has vast experience of playing in India.

“He has understood the Indian conditions supremely well. He's been playing in India for a while. So for me, Warner is the X factor. Delhi needs to decide who's going to replace Rishabh Pant. It will be a daunting question,” Kaif added.

Warner returned to Delhi after a gap of nine years in IPL 2022. He started his IPL career playing for Delhi in 2009 and got picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2014. On his return to Delhi in the 2022 season, he amassed 432 runs at a strike rate of 150.52.

Warner has the most number of Orange Caps in the history of IPL i.e three - 2015, 2017 and 2019 respectively which speaks volumes of his consistency in the tournament.  The 36-year-old is also the fastest player to reach the 5000-run mark in the history of the competition achieving the milestone in just 135 innings.

He's also the third-highest run scorer in IPL history having 5881 runs to his name at an average of 42.01 and a strike rate of 140.69. Warner further has the most number of fifties in the competition having reached the landmark 54 times.

In Rishabh Pant’s absence, who has been ruled out of the upcoming IPL season due to a car accident, Warner will relish the job of captaincy and will look to lead from the front. DC will kick-off their IPL campaign against Lucknow Super Giants on April 1 at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.

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