During the inaugural IPL, Watson was instrumental in winning the title of Rajasthan Royal and was also awarded the Man of the Tournament award.
India’s star studded league
IPL revolutionised the cricket world for fans and game players. It created a window where international players from around the world came to India and played with Indian players to create a special tie that circumvented the borders of the countries. While the 14th edition of the Star-Studded League (IPL 2021) is just hours before the start, former Australian all-rounder, Shane Watson, shared his memories of the League and his ‘second home’ in India on Instagram. Watson, who had been a member of the IPL since it began in 2008, announced his retirement last year and will be missing in future League issues.
In his post, Watson remembered his stints with various franchises for which he spoke in his IPL career and also spoke with Bollywood super star Shah Rukh Khan about special stage performances. He added that the bonds he created during the IPL will remain long-lasting.
He could be seen batting his haemorrhaging knee in one of the images shared by the former Australian cricketer. Watson kept batting despite a bleeding knee during the final of 2019 IPL and scored 80 runs against Mumbai Indians. It was subsequently shown that the Watson had six stitches on the wounded knee. Watson could be seen in another photo enjoying a car ride with his family.
Watson started off IPL with Rajasthan Royals
Watson, who started his IPL career with Rajasthan Royal back in 2008, played for the franchise till 2015. It was subsequently contracted to 2 IPL editions by Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore (2016, 2017) and then moved to MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings in 2018. After playing his last CSK game in IPL 2020, Watson announced his retirement.
Watson played a key role in the Rajasthan Royal victory in the IPL’s inaugural edition and was also awarded the title Man of The Tournament. His 2008 IPL performance played a key role in restoring his international career for Australia.
Watson was also the top-paying international player during the 2014 IPL.
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