MUMBAI: David Warner celebrated the end of his year-long ban from international cricket with a match-winning innings of 69 on Friday, helping his IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad overhaul a steep target against the Rajasthan Royals.

Former Australia captain Steve Smith and his deputy Warner were slapped with 12-month suspensions from international cricket last year for their involvement in the ball-tampering scandal in the Cape Town Test against South Africa.

Two months out from the World Cup in England, Warner showed he had lost none of his marauding form at the top of the order by smashing 85 in 53 balls in Hyderabad’s opening IPL match against KKR last Sunday.

He continued in the same vein against Rajas­than, the day after his international ban ended, scoring 69 off 37 deliveries as his team chased down their opponents 198-2, built on Sanju Samson’s unbeaten knock of 102.

Hyderabad needed a fast start to their innings and Warner, who missed the 2018 IPL because of the ban, obliged with a half-century off 26 deliveries.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2019