There have been several players who have shone in the IPL and then they have done wonders in international cricket. One of them is Australian ex-off-roader Shane Watson, who found a second wind in his international career after his star turn with the Rajasthan Royals.
Watson’s complete game helped the Royals win the inaugural title in 2008 at the expense of MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings. The Australian would have a long career with the franchise after which he joined Royal Challengers Bangalore. But his IPL career reached its zenith when he was picked up by the Chennai Super Kings.
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Watson restored the faith shown in him by scoring a title-winning century in the 2018 tournament final. But his 2019 campaign got off to a slow start and that’s where the CSK leadership showed faith in him, something that has left its mark with him. Australian.
“The 2018 season was one of my best seasons, it wasn’t just the final [where Watson made a match-winning century]. But last year CSK certainly stood by me through thick and thin, ”Watson told Quetta Gladiators head of player acquisitions Nabeel Hashmi on a YouTube show.
The Australian had a slump in the first 10 games before hitting a 96 of 53 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2019. He said they would have dropped him if he had been playing or on any other team.
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“On every other team I’ve been on, I may have missed a couple of games before I got the runs against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Just them supporting me, knowing my next good tickets were right around the corner, [was amazing]. Only world-class leaders will really stick around and have the confidence to do so, given the caliber of players we have.
“That was a great learning for me too, to be honest, to show that if you believe in someone, you believe in their ability, because you’ve seen what they’ve been able to do over and over again and that they’ll come in handy at some point,” added Watson. .
The Australian went on to say that he admired MS Dhoni and CSK head coach Stephen Fleming, even while playing for the Rajasthan Royals and his time at CSK has been excellent.
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“CSK had full faith in me, it’s an incredible franchise to play against. When I played for the Royals against Chennai, I always admired Stephen Fleming, and also MS, the way he behaved on and off the field.
“Being able to play for CSK and experience the way the franchise is run incredibly well from the top was a very special experience.
“I feel fortunate to have this part of my IPL career in recent years, to play for a franchise that takes care of everyone so incredibly well,” Watson said.
Chennai Super Kings begin their quest for a fourth title with a match against fierce rivals and defending champions the Mumbai Indians on September 19. CSK lost the 2019 final to Mumbai by a lonely race.
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