Former Australian batsman Shane Watson recently spoke about his experience while playing in the Indian Premier League. 39-year-old Shane Watson, in a recent interview, opened up about his long journey in the cash-rich league. Watson featured for a total of three teams- Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings- during his time in the IPL.
IPL 2021: Shane Watson Opens Up About His Time With RCB And CSK
Watson was a crucial part of the RCB’s squad in the years 2016 and 2017. Talking about his stint with RCB, Watson revealed that the RCB owners didn’t really have any emotional relationship with the players. He added that the Bangalore-based franchise is run by a corporate company which is the reason behind their professional behaviour.
“RCB was a great experience because of the calibre of players I played with. It was run by Diageo which is sort of a Johnny Walker company, so it was more corporately – sort of – run, which is different. There’s no real emotional connection with the owners who put in their heart and soul into it,” Watson said in the Grade Cricketer podcast.
However, he had a different opinion about CSK. He carries high regards for skipper MS Dhoni and head coach, Stephen Fleming. He said “But CSK was an incredible experience – to be with a team that was ageing, because of the experience we had, to be led by MS Dhoni, to be coached by Stephen Fleming, who is the best coach I’ve ever worked with. Fleming’s man-management skills, understanding of individuals and team environment, and also his cricket knowledge is ultimate. And of course the connection he had with MS Dhoni. That was a super cool experience,” the all-rounder said of his CSK experience.
Shane Watson’s IPL journey
It will be safe to say that Watson has been a legend of the Indian top-tier league. He has won the league with two different teams- Rajasthan Royals (2008) and Chennai Super Kings (2018). He played a crucial role in clinching the inaugural IPL season for RR as he made 472 runs at an average of 47.20 while bagging 17 wickets. Watson went on to play a match-winning century in the final of 2018 IPL against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Watson announced his retirement from the all-formats of the game after the 2020 IPL.
