IPL 2010: David Warner's century was topped only by Shoaib Malik's engagement to Sania Mirza

David Warner may have had little clue that on his best day yet in the IPL – on Monday – a former Pakistan captain would play party-pooper, as it were. A little before he started batting the wires were buzzing with speculation that Shoaib Malik was to marry Sania Mirza, the pin-up girl of Indian tennis. By the time Warner was mid-way through his innings, this news was confirmed, and his spectacular century was consigned to the sidelines of the day’s lead headline.

Of course, he still had the satisfaction of leading his tottering team to an emphatic 40-run win over Kolkata, who had threatened to make a meal of Delhi by reducing them to 38 for 3 in the third over with Sehwag and Gambhir both back in the pavilion. But Warner was unfazed, and finding a resolute partner in Paul Collingwood, counter-attacked with such belligerence that all the Kolkata bowlers had their noses bloodied, so to speak.

I have slipped into boxing parlance briefly but deliberately. The burly Australian southpaw’s strokes resemble jabs, hooks and upper cuts from a heavyweight boxer, and he was in devastating form this day smashing 107 off just 69 deliveries including five sixes. Thanks to Warner, Delhi coasted home easily and now find themselves in the top four as the league standing were reconfigured again.

It’s the kind of innings that has made Yusuf Pathan into a potential dollar multi-millionaire (all players are up for auction come September, remember) apart, of course, possibly having a life-size bust set up in the centre of his hometown Baroda in homage to his hitting. While it is unlikely that Warner will get similar adulation back home in Sydney (that’s a peculiarly Indian trait) he could be a multi-million dollar baby too when the franchise owners arrive with their money bags for the auction. Every franchisee is making a shopping list already and I can see Warner featuring in the calculations of most teams.

But while this may be splendid for the likes of Pathan and Warner, my own travails of reporting on the IPL get compounded. Every time I think I have sorted out the T20 puzzle, something new comes along and throws me back into a hole. Less than a week back, I had written about how the Golden Oldies were ruling the IPL. Now we’ve got Warner joining Pathan as the second centurion in the tournament and making a strong statement for young T20 specialists.

Ah well, I suppose it takes all sorts to make up this game, as it does life