David Warner’s Career Ends with Australia’s Exit from T20 World Cup
David Warner’s remarkable 15-year run in international cricket comes to end with Australia’s elimination from the T20 World Cup.
Warner, who had long suggested this tournament might be his last, had a somber conclusion after Afghanistan’s victory over Bangladesh sealed Australia’s destiny.
After Australia was eliminated from the T20 World Cup at the Super Eight stage by Afghanistan on Monday night in St. Vincent, David Warner’s 15-year international career came to an end. Warner’s stint wearing an Australia shirt came to an end, but he wasn’t sure when he was leaving the field in St Lucia. It was a low-key ending.
Warner’s retirement has been phased in: he played his final Test match against Pakistan in January and his final ODI in November during India’s World Cup victory. Warner has long hinted that this T20 World Cup will be his last competition. Although it seems unlikely, he has also left the door open to return for the Champions Trophy the following year.
In his last match, against India, he made six runs off of six balls and edged Arshdeep Singh to slip, where Suryakumar Yadav made a fine low catch. It was an anticlimax. There was no guard of honor or standing ovation as he left the field with his head dropped, having slammed his bat with his right hand in despair. He did not know if this was his final game.
Following the match, Warner was seen conversing with Virat Kohli on the outfield at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground. Josh Hazlewood stated that the outcome of Afghanistan’s late game against Bangladesh would determine when Warner’s teammates will say goodbye to him.
According to Hazlewood, “nothing’s been said yet.” “We’ll wait until after the game to [acknowledge] the career that’s been, although it might be said after this [news conference] before the [evening] game. It’s been amazing. Without a doubt, we will miss him in the group, on and off the field—an incredible all-around career.”
Hazlewood remarked after Warner’s departure, “We’ve had a small taste of it. With Test and ODI cricket and now T20, it has been a gradual burn. In New Zealand, we’ve gotten a little acclimated to life without him. When a long-serving player leaves, things are never the same. However, we’ll continue and advance.”
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Prior to Australia’s elimination, Travis Head, Warner’s opening partner, expressed that it would be a “disappointing” way for Warner to end his career. “If it ends like that and we have to watch another game, we’ll be upset. His contributions to Australian cricket at the top of the order in all formats have been widely discussed.
He is without a doubt our finest multi-format player. Let’s hope that this is not the end of things, but he will definitely be missed at the head of the order. If it turns out to be the case later on, we’ll wait and see, but tonight we’ll give him a farewell. If the fixture ends the way it has, it might be a bit of a late one. However, Davey’s performance at the head of the order has received a lot of attention.
Before the 2026 T20 World Cup, Hazlewood admitted that there would be a changing of the guard because Cameron Green is the only member of Australia’s squad under the age of 28, but he hinted that it won’t be a complete rebuild. “They come around pretty quick, the T20 World Cups, every two years,” he stated.
“There may be a few adjustments, but many of the players are still available for selection because they play in franchise cricket when they’re not representing Australia. Our 15 players include some elite talents, and we also have a few guys sitting on the bench. You would assume there would be a real sluggish transition. Nothing significant, in my opinion.”
