Afghanistan’s Semifinal Entry Marks the End of Warner’s International Career

Hyderabad: Australian opener David Warner’s illustrious international career has come to a close following Australia’s elimination from the ongoing T20 World Cup. Afghanistan’s dramatic entry into the semi-finals sealed Australia’s fate, marking the end of Warner’s storied journey in international cricket.

Australia’s hopes of advancing to the semi-finals were dashed after their loss to Afghanistan in the Super 8 stages. A subsequent defeat to India on June 25 further dampened their chances.

Afghanistan’s victory over Bangladesh confirmed Australia’s exit, bringing an abrupt end to Warner’s career, as he had previously announced this tournament would be his swansong.

Warner had already retired from One Day Internationals (ODIs) as a two-time world champion and had exited the Test arena at home last summer. While he left the door open for a potential return to the ODI side for the Champions Trophy if needed, such a move is widely considered unlikely.

Reflecting on Warner’s departure, teammate Josh Hazlewood said after the India game, “I guess we’ve had a little taste of it. So, it’s sort of been a slow burn with our Test cricket and ODI cricket and now T20.

Life without him, we’ve sort of gotten used to it a little bit in New Zealand. Yeah, it’s always different when you lose a player that’s been there for so long. But we’ll move on and push forward.”

David Warner’s career is decorated with numerous accolades, including winning the ODI World Cup, the T20 World Cup in 2021, and the World Test Championship last year. The 37-year-old has amassed nearly 19,000 runs in international cricket, with an impressive tally of 49 centuries.

As the cricket world bids farewell to one of its most prolific batsmen, Warner’s legacy will undoubtedly inspire future generations of cricketers.