Video: Warner injured during freakish right-handed T20 innings

In promising news for Australia’s World Cup hopes, David Warner will play two more games of the Bangladesh Premier League before returning home to have his elbow injury assessed.

Warner made more runs batting right-handed than left.

Update: Banned Test opener David Warner will play two more games of the Bangladesh Premier League despite reporting soreness in his right elbow.

Warner completed his best innings for the Sylhet Sixers on Wednesday, clubbing an unbeaten 61 off 36 balls for against Chris Gayle’s Rangpur Raiders.

He even batted right-handed for three balls, swatting 14 runs, including a six.

But Warner, whose 12-month suspension for his role in the sandpaper scandal ends on March 29, reported soreness after the match.

A Cricket Australia spokesperson said he would return home next Monday for further assessment.

“David has reported some pain in his right elbow,” the spokesperson said.

“He will return to Australia on Monday 21 January to be assessed, but is expected to play in remaining BPL matches until his return.

“We will have a clearer understanding of extent of the injury once he has been assessed.”

Warner’s Sixers have two games left in the BPL, to be played on Friday and Saturday.

Steve Smith and David Warner faced off in the BPL. Picture: AFP

Warner made more runs batting right-handed than left.

Warner’s availability for Australia’s World Cup campaign could depend on the extent of the injury.

Former Test captain Steve Smith is also facing a race against the clock to be fit following surgery on his elbow on Tuesday.

Australian one-day captain Aaron Finch said Smith’s operation went well, but he will have his arm in a sling for six weeks before starting his rehabilitation.

Australian selectors must pick a 15-man squad for the World Cup by April 23, before the defending champions open their campaign against Afghanistan on June 1.

During Warner’s innings, the leftie switched to face-up right-handed to Gayle for the final three balls of the 19th over and carted the West Indies star for 14 runs.

The explosive batsman couldn’t to get a hold of Gayle during the first three balls of the over and so he informed the umpire he would be changing his stance.

Warner then thumped Gayle back over his head for a six to reach his second half-century of the Bangladesh Premier League.

The next ball Warner whipped to the boundary and he then played a right-handed reverse sweep off Gayle’s final delivery, which also hit the rope.

Listen: Our latest Cricket Unfiltered podcast is all about the Big Bash, with former Australian women’s captain Lisa Lisa Sthalekar joining the Herald Sun’s Sam Landsberger to discuss the state of the men’s and women’s Big Bash Leagues.

“It was one of those things at the back of my mind as I couldn’t get Chris away because of his height and the lengths that he was bowling,” Warner said after the match.

“I play golf right-handed, so I thought I might as well come and swing and clear the ropes. It came off.”

David Warner batted RIGHT-HANDED to Chris Gayle last night and went 6️⃣4️⃣4️⃣

This is his Bangladesh 🇧🇩 T20 form:

61* (36)
0 (7)
7 (3)
59 (47)
14 (13)

Avg: 35.3
Strike-rate: 133

Lock Warner in for Australia’s World Cup defence. No reason not to pick him. 🔐 pic.twitter.com/yrfYvOokWm

— Sam Landsberger 🗯 (@SamLandsberger) January 16, 2019

Warner let out a little jiggle dance in celebration during the three-ball swing.

The veteran finished on 61 not out (36) - making 47 (33) as a leftie and 14 (3) as a right-hander.

Warner, captaining the Sylhet Sixers as his Cricket Australia suspension winds down, is averaging 35.5 at a strike-rate of 133 in Bangladesh.

The brilliant display set up a 27-run win for Warner’s Sixers.

Warner said before the tournament that all he could do was make runs in Bangladesh and then the Indian Premier League in the hope Australian selectors would pick him for this year’s World Cup.

West Indies great Chris Gayle was on the receiving end.

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