Best Innings of Shane Watson In IPL
One of the most popular overseas players in IPL history, Shane Watson tasted immediate success in the tournament as his Rajasthan Royals were crowned the first-ever IPL champions in 2008. Watson took home the player of the tournament award that year and has never looked back since, winning more titles with Chennai Super Kings and playing many more match-winning knocks along the way.
An attacking opening batsman who gets his team off to a great start more often than not, Watson also adds value by being a canny operator with the ball as well as being a reliable fielder. No matter what stage of the game is in progress, you can rely on the Australian to provide a moment of magic that will swing the match in your favour. As such, he is a real asset to have in any T20 team, which he has proved with his superlative showings for Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Chennai Super Kings.
Best Innings of Shane Watson In IPL
As he returns to the IPL for the 2020 season of the tournament, let’s look back at the 5 Best Batting Performance of Shane Watson in IPL history:
5. 98* (53) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (2013)
The first entry on this list of the top 5 innings of Shane Watson in IPL cricket comes from his stint with the Rajasthan Royals. In 2013, when RR were taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad, it was the Australian show with bat and ball. First, James Faulkner ran through the SRH batting lineup with a five-wicket haul, ending up with 5/20 in his 4 overs as SRH limped their way to 144/9 in 20 overs. The Royals made short work of their target, with Watson smashing the ball to all parts en route 98* off just 53 balls, guiding his side to an 8-wicket win with 13 balls to spare.
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4. 101 (61) vs Rajasthan Royals (2013)
Best Innings of Shane Watson In IPL: Coming to the first of Watson’s 4 IPL centuries, this one was actually scored for Rajasthan Royals in 2013 against his current side Chennai Super Kings. In fact, despite reaching triple digits, Watson ended up on the losing side, as Michael Hussey’s batting exploits saw CSK over the line. Batting first, the Royals posted an imposing 185/4, propelled by Watson’s 61-ball 101 that was decorated with 6 fours and 6 sixes. However, Hussey’s 88 off 51 balls and Suresh Raina’s 35-ball 51 proved too much for the Royals’ bowlers to handle as the men in yellow achieved victory with one ball to spare.
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3. 104* (59) vs Kolkata Knight Riders (2015)
This list of the top 5 innings of Shane Watson in IPL matches actually takes a positive turn, as this century actually helped his side to a win. Batting first against Kolkata Knight Riders, Watson’s Rajasthan Royals posted 199/6, out of which Watson contributed 104 runs off just 59 balls. The Australian carried his bat through the innings, hitting 9 fours and 5 sixes along the way. KKR came close to chasing down the huge target, but Watson performed with the ball as well, taking 2 wickets and showing his versatility and value in the T20 format. His efforts with both bat and ball saw him claim the man of the match award as KKR fell 9 runs short of the sizeable target that they were chasing.
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2. 106 (57) vs Rajasthan Royals (2018)
This is the second entry on the list of the Best Batting Performance of Shane Watson in IPL matches to feature a match between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings, with Watson donning the yellow jersey of CSK on this occasion. Despite having featured for the Royals for several seasons, Watson showed no sentimentality on his way to 106 off 57 balls, helping CSK to 204/5 in the first innings. The Royals reply never got going as they folded up for 140 in response, with Watson chipping in with 1/13 off 3 overs and taking another man of the match trophy home with him.
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1. 117* (57) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (2018)
Watson’s most memorable IPL knock came in the 2018 edition of the tournament, with Sunrisers Hyderabad being the unfortunate opposition. Kane Williamson’s SRH batted first and posted what they thought was the challenging total of 178/6. However, Watson had other plans, bludgeoning the hapless SRH bowling attack on his way to scoring 117* off just 57 balls with 11 fours and 8 sixes. The Australian saw his side home with 8 wickets in hand and 9 balls to spare, adding yet another man of the match trophy to his collection.
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