Shane Watson drew curtains on his illustrious career on Wednesday after he officially announced his decision to retire from professional cricket. The all-rounder had already bid adieu to international cricket in 2016 and was playing in various T20 tournaments across the globe.
Watson's final expedition turned out to be a forgetful one as his side -- Chennai Super Kings (CSK) -- surprisingly finished seventh in the thirteenth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Despite being the most consistent side in the tournament's history, CSK endured a torrid run this year. After registering just six wins in 14 games, MS Dhoni's men failed to qualify for playoffs for the first time in their IPL journey.
The Chennai side, however, ended their underwhelming campaign on a positive note by etching a hat-trick of victories. CSK's convincing nine-wicket victory over Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) was Watson's last appearance in the yellow jersey. The Australian reportedly was emotional while sharing the decision with his CSK teammates after the match.
To pay tribute to Watson, CSK, on Wednesday, shared a heartwarming video on Twitter. “To our beloved Watto Man, thank you for the memories in #yellove. Kneenga Vera Level, now and always,” it said.
A player for the big occasion, Watson had played a crucial role in the last two IPL finals. He had smashed an unbeaten 117 against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) to steer the Chennai side to their third IPL trophy. It was a stunning season for the all-rounder as managed to amass 555 runs with two centuries and two fifties.
Watson continued to impress in IPL 2019 too. He scored 398 runs including three half-centuries as CSK paved their way into the final of the tournament. Watson stepped up yet again and smashed a 59-ball 80 with a bloodied knee. His valiant effort, however, turned futile after CSK suffered a narrow 1-run defeat against Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians.
Talking about his batting exploits of this season, Watson managed to score 299 runs from 11 matches with two half-centuries.
