Shane Watson aka the white shark turned 41 on Friday. One of the great all-rounders the game has ever seen, the former Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals veteran was born on June 17, 1981, in Ipswich, Queensland.
"I know I am a good contributor and I back my capability," says Shane Watson when asked about his worth as a player and the value he brings to the teams he has been associated with. But these are not just empty words. On many occasions and stages, Watson has done justice to the words that he spoke, be it in the 2019 Indian Premier League Finals against Mumbai Indians where he almost won the game for his side with a bleeding knee, or be it against England in the Champions Trophy where he smashed a blistering ton and claimed seven wickets. With over 300 international games in which he scored more than 10,000 runs and claimed more than 250 wickets, Watson is undoubtedly one of the greatest all-rounders for global and Australian cricket. On the white shark's birthday, let us revisit one of his greatest innings that he played in the IPL final against Sunrisers Hyderabad with a hamstring injury in 2018.
IPL 2018 was a dream season for Shane Watson and Chennai Super Kings overall. The boys in yellow were returning to the big stage after two years and the onus of winning the championship was high. Dhoni and co. did not disappoint as they booked a spot against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2018 IPL finals. Sunrisers Hyderabad put a stiff 178 on board and not many gave chances to CSK. But Watson had other ideas in mind, he took the attack to the SRH bowlers, especially their talisman Rashid Khan. What surprised many was that Watson started in a very slow fashion and scored 0 off the initial 10 deliveries that he faced. With the hamstring injury playing on his mind, he was a little cautious, but what happened next was something that the world witnessed, Shane Watson whacked 117 off 57 deliveries and won the title for his team Chennai Super Kings.
Watson who played for CSK from 2018-20 is now associated with Delhi Capitals as a vital part of their coaching and support staff.
