David Warner says won't be at stadium again amid speculation of SRH stint ending
Dubai(PTI): Sunrisers Hyderabad's big-hitting opener David Warner, who has been dropped from the playing XI because of poor form, has said that he won't be seen at the stadium "again", hinting that his stint with the struggling franchise could be over.
Warner was axed last night from the game against Rajasthan Royals, which SRH won by seven wickets.
That win aside, the franchise has battled a poor run with only two wins from 10 matches, which has left them at the bottom of the points table and out of contention for a playoffs berth.
Warner's absence from the team dugout did not go unnoticed and fans wondered about his whereabouts underneath an instagram post by SRH.
Responding to the queries, Warner posted, "Unfortunately won't be again but keep supporting, please."
Warner has been woefully out of form this season, having accumulated just 181 runs in eight matches so far at an average of 24.37. His strike rate, at present, is the lowest in all his IPL stints, making it his worst season in the league.
The 34-year-old joined SRH in 2014 and captained the side to its maiden IPL title in 2016.
Dropped from the leadership role after the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, he came back as skipper in 2020.
He was again removed as captain during the first leg of this season due to the team's poor run and differences with Team Director Tom Moody and head coach Trevor Bayliss.
"We can't make the finals, so we made a decision that we want the youngsters to experience not just the matches, but time at the ground and around the set-up," Bayliss had said at the post match press conference on Monday when asked about Warner staying back at his hotel room.
IPL sources have revealed that he will be released at the end of the season and go back to the auction pool.
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India & Israel elevate ties to special strategic partnership, vow to soon conclude free trade deal
Jerusalem (PTI): India and Israel on Thursday elevated their "time-tested" relationship to a special strategic partnership and agreed to soon firm up a "mutually beneficial" free trade deal even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly backed the Gaza peace initiative, asserting that humanity must never become a victim of conflict.
Following talks between Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, the two sides inked a plethora of agreements to expand cooperation in areas of trade, agriculture, energy, cyberspace and digital payment.
India and Israel also vowed to expand their already close defence partnership by working towards joint development and joint production of military hardware under the framework of the transfer of technologies.
In his media statement, Modi said India's security interest is linked to peace and stability in the Middle East, adding that New Delhi fully supports the Gaza Peace Initiative.
"India's stance is clear: humanity must never become a victim of conflict. A path to peace has been created through the Gaza Peace Plan. India has fully supported these efforts," he said.
"In the future as well, we will continue dialogue and cooperation with all countries," he said.
PM Modi landed in Israel on Wednesday on a two-day visit. It is his second visit to Israel in nine years.
In his remarks, the prime minister said India and Israel have a united view that there is no place for terrorism in the world and both sides stand shoulder-to-shoulder in countering terrorism and its supporters.
"Our relationship is founded on the strong bedrock of deep trust, shared democratic values, and human sensitivities. Our bond has stood the test of every trial of time," he said.
"Today, we have taken the historic decision to elevate our time-tested partnership to the status of a 'Special Strategic Partnership'," he said.
The prime minister also announced the establishment of an India-Israel critical and emerging technologies partnership to impart a new momentum for cooperation in areas of artificial intelligence, quantum, and critical minerals. "I am pleased that an agreement has been reached for the use of UPI in Israel," he said.
The prime minister, referring to the threat of terrorism, said India and Israel will continue to confront the menace unitedly.
"India and Israel are completely clear that there is no place for terrorism in the world. In any form, in any expression, terrorism cannot be accepted," he said.
"We have stood shoulder-to-shoulder in opposing terrorism and its supporters, and we will continue to do so," he added.
India and Israel also discussed the implementation of the India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and cooperation under the framework of I2U2 (India-Israel-UAE-USA).
