IPL 2017 | David Warner : Virat Kohli and I are still good friends
After guiding Sunrisers Hyderabad to a 35-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in the opening match of IPL-10, David Warner clarified that he is still good friends with India skipper Virat Kohli despite an acrimonious Test series between India and Australia that hosts India clinched 2-1.
Kohli had earlier said that he no longer considered the Australian players as his friends following the events that occurred during the four-Test series. However, Warner said that he had a chat with Kohli during the IPL opening ceremony.
"Ya. I had a chat with Virat. We are still friends, thankfully. I had a text conversation with him which is very nice of him," Warner was quoted as saying by NDTV Sports. "As we all know, we all got jobs to do. You guys (journalists) write, right or wrong. We players...that's how the game is. But, away from this, we are still very good friends."
Warner also said that world cricket is played in a friendly environment despite the occasional sparks that fly. "Sometimes on the field, we can take it too seriously and for the emotions for the next hour, we might be thinking they are not going to be anymore this and that, but for us, we are all going to be friends, everything is taken care. It's a friendly environment, especially IPL and world cricket. We just love playing the game and making sure everyone is smiling," he said.
Sunrisers were without Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman in their opening match. "You know as much as I do. I didn't even know that he was not going to be here till I landed. I think the whisper was he is going to be with us in Mumbai," the Aussie opener said.
On the pressure of being defending champions, Warner said, "There is no pressure... Last year (there) were more individuals playing a role, one or two in each single game. This year (to) start the way we did was fantastic. We had self-belief. It's great to be defending champions. But, we will play the way we do. Keep calm and everything will pan out the way that we do. If we go on the field and give 100 percent every time.”
