New Delhi, November 02, 2020: Chennai Super Kings opener Shane Watson did not enjoy a good Indian Premier League season in 2020 in the UAE. In 11 games for CSK, Watson scored only 299 runs at an average of 29.90 and a strike rate of 121.05. He was replaced at the top by Ruturaj Gaikwad in the final three games and CSK went on to win all three matches.
Now, according to a report in The Times of India, Watson has informed his CSK teammates that he will be retiring from all formats of the sport, which means he will not return in the yellow jersey again next year. (IPL 2020 Full Coverage)
“Watson was very emotional when he told the CSK dressing room after the last game that he would retire. He said that it was a great privilege for him to play for the franchise,” The Times of India report quoted a source.
CSK were the first team to be eliminated from IPL 2020, and on Sunday, they played their final game of the season against Kings XI Punjab, where they cruised to a 9-wicket win to end the campaign on a high. CSK captain MS Dhoni, at the post-match presentation ceremony, had hinted that the franchise will be looking to revamp its core group going into the next season according to the reports published in hindustantimes.com.
Watson has been a key figure for CSK in the past few years. In 2018, the former Aussie all-rounder was picked up in the auction by CSK and had smashed a century in the all-important final to help his team win the trophy. He was once again the star of the show for the franchise in the 2019 final, but CSK lost to Mumbai Indians by just one run.
Watson has had a storied IPL career over the years. His performances helped Rajasthan Royals beat CSK to win the title in the maiden season. He also went on to play for Royal Challengers Bangalore, before joining CSK.
His performance in the IPL in 2008 had helped resurrect his international career. He won the 2015 ICC World Cup with the Australian team.
