England’s limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan has, on Friday, 5th April, compared Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) batsmen David Warner and Jonny Bairstow’s bromance in the ongoing 12th season of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 with former Manchester United pair Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.
It is known that Warner, Australia opener, and Bairstow, England wicket-keeper batsman, have had their differences in the past and even have not had the best of the personal relationship during 2017-18 Ashes when the sledging and off-field controversies crossed the line.
However, Bairstow and Warner have put their differences aside at the IPL 2019, forming devastating opening partnerships for the SRH and Morgan has credited franchise cricket for breaking down barriers.
Impressing with the two’s association, Morgan drew the comparison with the incident in football between Rooney and Ronaldo, when two has a face-off during the 2006 World Cup clash between England and Portugal, but they reunited as team-mates at Manchester United.
Morgan told ESPNcricinfo, “The two of them are team-mates for the moment but that is the beauty of playing franchise cricket. You do get to rub shoulders with guys you never thought you'd play with.”
He signed off by saying, “Thinking about it since in different sports, in football it happens all the time. Compare Portugal's game where Ronaldo got Wayne Rooney sent off, and had to go back and play for Manchester United two weeks later. It's trickier circumstances, but I'm sure Jonny is learning a huge amount from other guys that he's rubbing shoulders with.”
Noteworthy, SRH currently tops the IPL 2019 points table with 3 wins in the ongoing T20 event especial thanks to Warner-Bairstow’s crucial partnerships in the tournament.
(With ESPNcricinfo Inputs)
