Ahead of the 2019 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), all eyes were on tainted Australian duo of Steve Smith and David Warner who were marking a return to the field following their role in the infamous ball-tampering scandal last year. Confessing to their respective roles in the shambolic act, both Smith and Warner had attracted a lot of backlash from cricket fans and pundits across the globe.

While they will always have to carry the burden of bringing disrepute to the gentleman's game, the exploits of the two Aussie cricketers in the ongoing IPL season have undoubtedly allowed them to win the fans back. On one hand, where Smith has been seen carrying the baton for Rajasthan Royals (RR) with decent batting performances, Warner has undeniably been a class apart for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

© Twitter/@IPL

The left-handed batsman took IPL 2019 by storm with consistent performances for Hyderabad. In the 12 games, he played this season, Warner has amassed a staggering 692 runs including eight fifties and a hundred. Currently, he also leads the list of top run-getters this season, with the second-placed KL Rahul over 150 runs behind.

For someone who was slammed by fans and left to fend for himself, Warner's rise on the back of spirited performances in IPL defines his character as a true champion. Thus, as he got ready to join the Australian training camp for the all-important ICC World Cup, he penned an emotional message for Hyderabad and the IPL fans.

I can not express my gratitude enough to the @sunrisershyd family for your support, not just this season but also for the last year. It's been a long time waiting but it was great to be back amongst the boys. Owners, support staff, players, social media team and the fans thank you very much for welcoming me back with open arms. I thoroughly enjoyed being back out there swinging that willow. Good luck to the guys for the rest of the tournament and finish ðªð». #family #orangearmy #humbullð #hashtag

A post shared by David Warner (@davidwarner31) on Apr 29, 2019 at 9:34pm PDT

Taking to Instagram, Warner wrote: "my gratitude enough to the @sunrisershyd family for your support, not just this season but also for the last year. It's been a long time waiting but it was great to be back amongst the boys. Owners, support staff, players, social media team and the fans thank you very much for welcoming me back with open arms. I thoroughly enjoyed being back out there swinging that willow. Good luck to the guys for the rest of the tournament and finish".

Outstanding finish to your ipl season  @davidwarner31. The girls and I are forever proud of you. Your work ethic and your never give up attitude is inspirational. We love you. ð§¡ð§¡@sunrisershyd#ipl#orangearmypic.twitter.com/qnxkGXBwgk

Apart from Warner, his wife Candice, too, had nothing but praise for her husband as he departed for national duty. "Outstanding finish to your ipl season  @davidwarner31. The girls and I are forever proud of you. Your work ethic and your never give up attitude is inspirational. We love you," she tweeted.