Warner has been receiving treatment and is expected to be fit for the Sydney Smash clash against the Sydney Sixers on Saturday.
In Warner’s absence, Chris Green has been appointed as captain for the Hurricanes match, while young pacer Charlie Anderson has been added to the squad as a replacement.
“It’s obviously not ideal to be without Davey, but we’d rather be cautious early in the tournament,” Thunder general manager Trent Copeland said. “I’m confident he’ll be ready for our biggest game of the year, the Sydney Smash on Saturday.”
Thunder to miss Warner’s firepower
Without Warner, Sydney Thunder will face a weakened batting lineup against the defending champions. Warner was the team’s leading run-scorer in last season’s BBL, amassing 405 runs despite Thunder falling short in the grand final against the Hurricanes.
Warner’s ability to take down opposition bowlers in the powerplay will be sorely missed. In his absence, the team is likely to experiment with a new opening combination, with Sam Konstas expected to open alongside either Cameron Bancroft or Matthew Gilkes.
Updated Sydney Thunder squad vs Hurricanes
Chris Green (c), Charlie Anderson, Cameron Bancroft, Sam Billings (ENG), Ollie Davies, Matt Gilkes, Ryan Hadley, Shadab Khan (PAK), Sam Konstas, Nathan McAndrew, Blake Nikitaras, Daniel Sams, Tanveer Sangha, Reece Topley (ENG)
