Watch: Australian batter David Warner makes Bollywood-style entry in chopper at Sydney cricket ground
His love for Indian cinema is undeniable and has even deepfaked himself as Shah Rukh Khan
Living up to his image as an Indian movie fan, Australian opener David Warner arrived to play the Big Bash League (BBL) Sydney derby between Sydney Thunder and Sydney Sixers in the most filmy-style possible.
The swashbuckling opener, who recently called time on his Test and ODI career, arrived in a helicopter at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
Warner's love for Indian films and culture is well-known, often dancing to Indian film music during his matches and using movie dialogues during interactions with fans and media. He came to play the match after attending his brother's wedding.
The official X (formerly Twitter) handle of BBL shared a video of Warner landing on the pitch in a helicopter. "Dave Warner. In a Helicopter. Arriving at the SCG. Here's how it happened. @davidwarner31@ThunderBBL @scg #BBL13," tweeted BBL.
In nine BBL matches throughout his career, Warner has scored 251 runs at an average of 35.86, with a century and fifty. His best score is 102. He represented Sydney Sixers back in 2012/13 season and has played for Thunder otherwise.
In his T20 career, Warner has scored 11,695 runs at an average of 37.60 and a strike rate of 140.61 in 355 innings. He has smashed eight centuries and 99 fifties in his career, with the best score of 135*.
Warner has retired from two of cricket's older formats as a legend, with an ICC World Test Championship, two ICC Cricket World Cups and multiple Ashes wins under his belt. In his last ODI for Aussies, he won the Cricket World Cup with Aussies, defeating India in the final at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium to capture his country's sixth 50-over WC title.
In 112 Test matches, Warner scored 8,786 runs at an average of 44.59, with 26 centuries and 37 fifties in 205 innings. His best score is 335*. He is the fifth-highest scorer for Australia in Tests.
In 161 ODIs, Warner has scored 6,932 runs at an average of 45.30, with 22 centuries and 33 fifties in 159 appearances, He is Australia's sixth-highest run-scorer in ODIs. His best ODI score is 179.
Warner will continue to play T20Is, with the ICC T20 World Cup set to take place from June 1 in West Indies/USA. He has played 99 T20Is, scoring 2,894 runs at an average of 32.88, with a century and 24 fifties in 99 innings. His best score is 100*. He is Australia's second-highest run-scorer in T20Is.