CSK's Shane Watson has named one Indian bowler in his list of top-5 bowlers in the shortest format of the game.
Chennai Super Kings batsman Shane Watson returned to form in style as he slammed an unbeaten 83 against Kings XI Punjab to steer the side to a 10-wicket win earlier this week.
Watson had been struggling to score since the beginning of the tournament but forged an unbeaten opening partnership alongside the in-form batsman Faf du Plessis, as the duo led CSK to a confidence-boosting victory.
The veteran Australian batsman, who has been one of the mainstays in the franchise's XI over the past few years, was recently asked to name five top bowlers to have played T20 cricket. He also named an Indian bowler in his list.
“The first one in my top 5 T20 bowlers of all time is the greatest T20 bowler, Lasith Malinga... His execution of yorkers is something that has not been seen before and might not be seen again for a long period of time,” Watson said on T20 Stars' YouTube show.
“Number two is Shahid Afridi. I am just talking about his bowling right now, he is obviously an incredibly dynamic batsman but from bowling perspective, he is the perfect T20 bowler. He is a wicket-taker but also, he does not concede that many runs. And that is a T20 bowler you always need in your team,”
He then proceeded to name the third bowler in the list - India's Jasprit Bumrah.
“He, for me, is an all-round package. He is only 26 at the moment but the dominance that he has had in T20 cricket so far as a bowler is absolutely phenomenal,” Watson said.
Watson further said that he will be "absolutely great" at the end of his T20 career alone.
“He has got speed, he can swing the bowl both ways, he has got a great change of pace, his execution of his yorkers is incredible as well... Facing him is a huge challenge, he has got so many different high-quality bowling options and you got to be absolutely on your game to be able to score and put him under pressure. I am sure he will be absolutely great at the end of his career in T20 cricket alone with incredible skills that he has got,” said Watson.
He further named his CSK teammate Dwayne Bravo and West Indies' Sunil Narine in the list.
