Introduction
Whilst David Warner v Rashid Khan is not as famed as many other cricketing rivalries – for example, Ian Chappell and Ian Botham, or Ricky Ponting and Harbhajan Singh, for example – it still has relevance, because it represents a clash between two players from different generations, the seasoned veteran compared to the up and coming upstart. They are two completely different players as well. One is an aggressive opening batter, whose natural instinct is to attack. The other is a wily leg-spinner with a unique bowling style that many batters find difficult to pick.
In fact, they have played each other comparatively few times, but one of those meetings during the 2023 World Cup resulted in a fiery clash.
Background to the rivalry
Although both had played in the same team, the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League, it was during the 2023 World Cup in India that the rivalry between the two really started. Khan was playing for Afghanistan who had posted 292 from their 50 overs in Mumbai.
Warner had begun the Australian reply and was talking to Mitchell Marsh at the end of an over, when he appeared to take exception to something Khan said. Warner broke off his conversation with Marsh to take aim at Khan, and although an Afghan reserve player stepped in to try and defuse the row, the pair kept on jabbering away at each other.
Marsh actually appeared to be the main instigator. He had exchanged a few words with Naveen ul-Haq at the end of the owner, and Khan could not resist giving a few words back to Marsh, leading to Warner getting involved as well.
On 15 at the time, Warner added just three more before he was out. However, arguably he had the last laugh as Australia, who were 91/7 at one point, were rescued by Glenn Maxwell who made an unbeaten double century, despite playing the second half of his innings on only one leg because of injury.
The Afghan women’s team
There is also some animosity between Australian and Afghan players at a national level currently. Since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in August 2021, the role of women in public life has changed drastically, and now many professions have been closed to them. The Afghan women’s cricket team were forced to flee the country, and a number of them have settled in Australia.
In response, Cricket Australia has refused to play Afghanistan in bilateral series, which means that the only forum in which the two countries will now play each other is in international tournaments like World Cups. That means also that, because Australia have never yet played a test against Afghanistan, the pair have never played red ball cricket against each other, and, with Warner now retired from internationals, they never will.
Khan has been criticised for failing to take a public stance against the treatment of women cricketers in his country, although, in mitigation, speaking out could bring risks for both him and his family. However, he admitted to feeling hurt by Cricket Australia’s decision, and decided not to play in the 2024/2025 Big Bash League for the Adelaide Strikers, having previously been part of the franchise since 2019.
A history of controversy
Both players are controversial figures in their own right, although arguably Warner is in a class of his own in this respect.
Warner’s track record of misbehaviour and ill-discipline includes punching Joe Root in a Birmingham bar, skipping a match to watch a horse race, and getting in an altercation with MCC members at Lord’s. However, he will forever be remembered for his role in the infamous “Sandpapergate” ball tampering scandal during the Third Test between Australia and South Africa in 2018. The fall-out saw Warner and his captain Steve Smith banned from all forms of cricket for a year. Warner was banned also by Cricket Australia from holding any sort of leadership position, and that was only lifted at the end of last year.
Khan is no angel himself, and was given an official reprimand, and given a demerit point in his licence after throwing his bat to the ground and potentially threatening to strike an opponent with it during a T20 World Cup match against Bangladesh in 2024. And, appointed the Afghanistan captain for the 2021 T20 World Cup, he stepped down after the squad was named, arguing that the selection committee had not consulted him over its composition.
Overall Head-to-Head Stats Across All Formats
Tests
Batting
| Name | Innings | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s |
| David Warner | 204 | 8,770 | 44.74 | 70.18 | 23 | 37 |
| Rashid Khan | 9 | 567 | 14.53 | 85.55 | 0 | 1 |
Bowling
| Name | Innings | Wickets | Average | Econ Rate | Strike Rate | 5 wickets |
| David Warner | 20 | 4 | 80.25 | 4.79 | 100.5 | 0 |
| Rashid Khan | 10 | 40 | 20.95 | 3.43 | 41.5 | 1 |
ODIs
Batting
| Name | Innings | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s |
| David Warner | 159 | 6,932 | 45.30 | 97.26 | 22 | 33 |
| Rashid Khan | 77 | 1,266 | 20.41 | 104.88 | 0 | 4 |
Bowling
| Name | Innings | Wickets | Average | Econ Rate | Strike Rate | 5 wickets |
| David Warner | 2 | 0 | N/A | 4.54 | N/A | 0 |
| Rashid Khan | 89 | 155 | 21.95 | 4.66 | 13.5 | 2 |
T20Is
Batting
| Name | Innings | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s |
| David Warner | 110 | 3,277 | 33.43 | 142.47 | 1 | 28 |
| Rashid Khan | 59 | 459 | 13.90 | 125.40 | 0 | 0 |
Bowling
| Name | Innings | Wickets | Average | Econ Rate | Strike Rate | 5 wickets |
| David Warner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rashid Khan | 96 | 162 | 13.44 | 6.40 | 13.5 | 2 |
IPL
Batting
| Name | Innings | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s |
| David Warner | 184 | 6,565 | 40.52 | 139.77 | 4 | 62 |
| Rashid Khan | 63 | 567 | 14.53 | 163.40 | 0 | 1 |
Bowling
| Name | Innings | Wickets | Average | Econ Rate | Strike Rate | 5 wickets |
| David Warner | 1 | 0 | N/A | 11.76 | N/A | 0 |
| Rashid Khan | 126 | 153 | 22.59 | 7.26 | 19.5 | 0 |
Matchup in the IPL
Team-mates together
The pair first got to know each other well when they were team-mates together at the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Warner had captained the franchise to their one and only title in 2016, and the following season Khan, then regarded as an up and coming leg spinner, joined the team as well. They failed to defend their title, and Warner sat out the entire 2018 campaign whilst he served his ban from cricket. He returned for 2019, and they reached the play-offs that year only to lose in the Eliminator game. Again they reached the play-offs in 2020, only to lose in Qualifier 2 this time.
2021 proved to be a very disappointing year. Warner struggled for runs initially, and was replaced as captain by Kane Williamson. He was even dropped for several games, and instead assumed drink serving duties. At the end of the season, SRH management decided tough decisions had to made about their overseas stars, and decided that Warner would be released. They wanted to keep Khan, but he insisted that he should be their number one retention, whilst they preferred Williamson instead. Khan was not happy with this, and eventually he too was released.
There have been suggestions that Khan was involved in the decision not to retain Warner, although this has not been definitively proved. What is beyond doubt is that Warner felt he had been badly treated by SRH.
Both then joined the 2022 Player Auction, with Warner subsequently joining the Delhi Capitals and Khan the newly formed Gujarat Titans, who went on to win the title in their inaugural season in the league. The teams met only once that year, and Warner did not play in that game.
IPL 2023
The pair met in match seven of the 2023 IPL, with Warner captaining the Delhi Capitals, and Khan playing for the Gujarat Titans. Put into bat, Warner opened the innings and made 37, before he was bowled by Alzarri Joseph. Khan took 3/31 with the ball at an economy rate of 7.75, as the Capitals were restricted to 162/8 from their 20 overs.
The Titans chased that down with six wickets and eleven balls to spare. Khan was not required to bat.
In the reverse fixture in Delhi, Warner won the toss this time and elected to bat first, but he was out for just two, as his side struggled to 130/8. Khan took 1 -28 from his four overs, and again his economy rate of seven was excellent.
However, in a low scoring match, the Titans could only manage 125/6 in reply, with Khan unbeaten on six.
Warner was not picked in the IPL Player Auction in either 2024 or 2025, whilst Khan continues to play for the Titans.
What the Experts Say
David Warner
David Warner remains a polarising figure as far as cricket fans are concerned, and the Australian public remain conflicted about his legacy. For some his actions during the 2018 Cape Town test left a permanent scar on the reputation of Australin cricket.
Many former players are more forgiving, however. Former Australian bowler Merv Hughes once described him as a “junkyard dog. He’ll sit behind the fence and bark at you, and if you jump the fence he’ll rip your leg off.”
However, it is also noticeable that, as soon as his ban from cricket was over, Australia wasted no time in recalling him , because they could not find anybody better to take his place, not only for his aggressive batting, but also because of his slip catching. He made his last test appearance in January 2024, and even now Australia have yet to find a suitable replacement.
Publicly at least, Warner remains unrepentant about his actions, and he does have die-hard admirers. One cricket fan described him as “Australia’s most prolific opener, aggressive, passionate, and an icon.”
Rashid Khan
Rashid Khan enjoys bowling against the best players in the world, and is never afraid to experiment. He is never intimidated and even if a batter plays an attacking stroke off his bowling, he will not change his approach or opt for a defensive delivery. He has proved to be such an effective bowler in T20 cricket because of his self-belief, and desire to have the ball in his hand. And, because he rarely gives batters “freebies” and his economy rate is so good, the pressure he exerts will often lead to the opposition giving their wicket away.
One person in no doubt about Khan’s ability is veteran Indian commentator Harshit Bogle, who, after one IPL match in 2023 opined on social media “soon, there will be nothing that Rashid Khan cannot do.”
Warner’s ability to handle spin
Warner when playing for Australia was regarded as one of the best players of spin in the team, because of his ability to watch the ball on to the bat and read the flight in the air. And his powerful hitting and speed between the wickets also meant that he could disrupt the rhythm that spinners normally like to maintain during an over.
Despite that, earlier in his career, he was perceived as having a blind spot when it came to spin bowling and was happiest taking an aggressive approach, sometimes resorting to the switch hit to try and upset the rhythm of a slow bowler. One problem was his lack of footwork whilst at the crease, an issue he worked at over the years.
Khan’s unique bowling style
Khan has a unique bowling style which he has honed over years of experimentation. Unlike most leg-spinners his grip is similar to that used by off-spinners, which enables him to bowl quicker through the air. He also releases the ball through his fingertips rather than the palm of his hand, which helps him achieve better control and accuracy. And, at the release point, he places his index finger behind the seam and the middle finger over it, enabling him to achieve the variations in spin that keep the batters guessing as to his intentions. The gap between his two fingers also enables him to bowl better googlies.
He enjoys bowling to left-handers because whilst they are normally expecting the ball to turn into them, and he can surprise them with deliveries that are either straight or move the other way.
In terms of lengths, these differ little from other leg spinners in terms of the proportions of balls bowled. However, where he does stand out is his economy rate off shorter-length balls, which is noticeably better than average.
Their mental game
Australians are well-known for their sledging during games, and Warner is an excellent example of this, never afraid to have a word with an opponent in order to get under their skin. And his will to win has seen him cross the line on a number of occasions, Prior to the infamous Sandpapergate incident, he had become involved in a fight with the South African opener Quinton de Kock, after the latter had appeared to insult Warner’s wife. That has led to suggestions that Warner is less happy to receive insults than to dish them out.
Rashid Khan is also naturally an aggressive cricketer, and will never back down from a conflict. In his own words, if :someone is coming after me, I am coming after them,” He has faith in his own ability. If he bowls a bad ball or a batter hits him for a boundary, he will compartmentalise that and concentrate on his next delivery.
And he is also able to handle the pressure of the big matches, and will often reserve some of his best balls for the top opposition players.
Who wins in a battle between the two?
Because of the difference in their ages, the fact that they played on the same team in the IPL for four years, and the lack of international matches that Afghanistan play, David Warner and Rashid Khan have played against each other comparatively few times, and that clash in the 2023 World Cup notwithstanding, there is little evidence of bad blood between them.
Nevertheless, they represent a clash in styles, with the aggressive left-handed batter against the leg-spinner with a unique style offering constant variation.
The good news for cricket fans is that with Warner now focusing on his franchise career, they are likely to come up against each other a number of times in the current years in tournaments like The Hundred and Major League Cricket.
This argument can then be revisited then.
FAQs
1. Is David Warner the best opener?
There is no definitive answer to who is the best opener, especially when it comes to comparing cricketers across different generations, formats, pitches and conditions. However, his status as one of the finest in his position in recent years is undeniable.
2. What is David Warner’s weakness?
One of David Warner’s weaknesses is considered the fact that he always plays hard at every ball that he faces, meaning that balls that are edged will often go towards fielders in a close catching position. One player who enjoyed particular success against Warner was former England fast bowler Stuart Broad who took the left-hander’s wicket 17 times in test cricket. Having researched Warne’s style and finding that he liked to cut or drive at deliveries, Broad decided that his best approach was to try and hit his stumps every time, and not give him any width outside off stump.
3. How many runs has David Warner scored?
Warner finished his international career with a total of 18,995 runs (8,786 in tests, 6.932 in ODIs and 3,277 in T20Is). In first class cricket he has 11,265 runs to his name, whilst he is close to completing 13,000 runs in T20 matches.
4. Is Rashid Khan bowler or all-rounder?
Whilst Rashid Khan is regarded as an all-rounder, he is a much more accomplished bowler than batter. He is the leading T20 wicket taker of all-time, but has never reached a century in any form of cricket, and has just 18 fifties to his name.
5. What is David Warner’s strike rate?
This depends on the format of the game. In test matches it was 70.18, ODIs 97.26, and T20Is 142.47. His current strike rate in T20 cricket is 140.47.