Australian batsman Shane Watson has praised Chennai Super Kings “world-class leaders” for supporting him through a difficult IPL season in 2019. He added that the franchise stuck by him. And showed confidence when his batting was nowhere close to his highs in 2018. Watson was amongst the five players of the side who featured in all the 17 matches last season, eventually ending with 398 runs with an average of 23.41. With nota great season he pulled out the CSK squad from a dearth situation and almost won the title for them by scoring 80 in the final against MI.
“The 2018 season was one of my better seasons, it wasn’t just the final [where Watson made a match-winning century],” Watson said. “But last year, certainly CSK stuck with me through thick and thin. In every other team that I’ve been in, I may have been dropped a couple of games before I got the runs against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Just them backing me, knowing my next few good innings were around the corner, [was amazing]. Only world-class leaders will really stick by and have the confidence to do that, given the calibre of the players we’ve got.
“That was great learning for me as well, to be honest, to show that if you believe in someone, you believe in their ability, because you’ve seen what they’ve been able to do time and time again and that they will come good at some stage. It worked out well as I was able to contribute, not in the final (laughs), I got run out in the last over (laughs), but up until then, I got as close.”
“CSK had full faith in me, they’re an incredible franchise to play against,” Watson said. “When I played for Royals against Chennai, I always admired Stephen Fleming, and MS [Dhoni] as well, the way he carried himself on and off the field. To be able to play at CSK and experience the way the franchise is run incredibly well from top-down was a very special experience. I do feel fortunate to have this part of my career of the IPL in the last few years, to play for a franchise that looks after everyone so unbelievably well.”
The CSK squad has had a rough beginning this IPL with 13 contingent members testing positive for COVID-19 and players like Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh pulling out due to personal reasons. While all of the positive tested members have recovered except for the uncapped player who is still to be tested as he quarantined on a later date. CSK will play the opener against MI on the 19th of September in UAE.
