How one tweet turned Delhi’s dynamo into cricket’s cautionary tale
Here's a spicy one from the IPL archives—a moment when cricket was not just about sixes and yorkers but also about tweets, tantrums, and a tidy little fine. We're rolling back to 2013 when Australian opener David Warner let his fingers do the talking on Twitter—and it cost him USD 5,608. Curious? You should be.
Credit: TOI
This wasn't about what happened on the pitch but off it. While Warner was excelling for the Delhi Daredevils, a controversial article appeared back home in Australia. It criticised the Indian Premier League's integrity amidst a growing spot-fixing scandal—and featured a photo of Warner.
Credit: IPL
The Aussie opener saw red, went online, and unleashed his anger. Within hours, he had fired a series of expletive-laden tweets at two prominent journalists. The end result? A maximum fine under Cricket Australia's code of behaviour—more than five grand gone in a flash.
Credit: Batting with Bimal
The article that Warner reacted to focused on IPL controversies, but the aftermath drew him into the spotlight. That's right: he wasn't implicated in any fixing allegations, yet he became one of the tournament's biggest talking points. Funny how that works, right? A Twitter rant intended to protest an image placement ended up making headline news all on its own.
Credit: ESPN
At that time, social media guidelines for cricketers were still evolving. Warner's outburst accelerated that discussion. Cricket boards worldwide began reassessing how players should interact with the public online. He wasn't the last to tweet in anger, but his fine remains one of the highest imposed for an online offence in cricket.
Credit: News18
Despite the fine and backlash, Warner's career didn't sink. In fact, there was talk (even after the drama) about his potential to captain Australia. It shows that cricket careers can survive a Twitter storm—if the bat keeps talking. Let that be a reminder, folks: before you tweet in anger, ask yourself: is this worth a month's rent?
