"I followed Rajasthan Royals religiously during first three IPL seasons due to the presence of Shane Warne"- Yuzvendra Chahal

Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal recently revealed his deep-rooted adoration for Shane Warne. Chahal opened up that he followed the Rajasthan Royals team during the initial years in the IPL solely due to Warne's presence in the side.

Warne passed away yesterday at the age of 52. The news left the cricketing universe heartbroken and shattered. Several former and current cricketers have paid tribute to Shane Warne since the news broke.

Yuzvendra Chahal also joined them and spoke a few words about his 'idol'. An emotional Chahal said:

"In 2008, the team I followed was Rajasthan Royals because Shane Warne sir was in it. He was my idol. Till the time I didn't join IPL, the first three years, I followed Rajasthan Royals religiously and I watched every single match because of Warne sir."

Elaborating on the traits he loved about the Rajasthan franchise, he added:

"I felt that this team welcomes youngsters and it's good to see how they take chances on unknown players who later become superstars."

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"A man who made us believe that impossible is just a myth" - Rajashtan Royals pay emotional tribute to Shane Warne

The Aussie spinner's passing has shaken the Rajasthan franchise, as he was the first skipper to lead the team to a title victory in the inaugural IPL season.

In a statement on their official Twitter handle, the Rajasthan franchise heaped praise on Warne for his contributions towards the franchise over the years. The statement read:

"Shane Warne. The name stands for magic. Our first Royal, a man who made us believe that impossible is just a myth. A leader who walked the walk, talked the talk, and turned underdogs into champions. A mentor who turned everything he touched into gold."

"We don't have words to express what we truly feel at the moment but what we know is that the world is poorer today as it will now exist without his smile, his brilliance, and his attitude to live life to its fullest. We're completely heartbroken, as are millions of cricket fans all around the world."

Warne played 55 games in the IPL, all for the Rajashtan Royals side. He scalped 57 wickets at an economy of 7.27, with 4/21 as his best figures against the Deccan Chargers in 2010.

His last IPL match was against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in 2011. Warne ended up with figures of 4-0-30-1 in the contest, with Rohit Sharma being his final IPL wicket.