I always admired Stephen Fleming and MS Dhoni, even while playing for Rajasthan Royals: CSK star Shane Watson

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder Shane Watson has revealed that he developed an admiration for the franchise and its captain MS Dhoni ever since the first-ever Indian Premier League (IPL) final in 2008. Watson helped the Rajasthan Royals win the inaugural edition of the tournament.

In a YouTube show with Quetta Gladiators’ head of player acquisitions Nabeel Hashmi, Watson spoke about his fondness for CSK since the very first IPL edition and that his two-year stint with the franchise has been a fantastic experience.

“CSK had full faith in me, and they’re an incredible franchise to play against. When I played for Royals against Chennai, I always admired Stephen Fleming, and MS 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,” the former Australian opener said.

I would have been dropped in any other team: Watson on CSK’s faith on him

Shane Watson played for RR from 2008 to 2015. Image Credits: MyKhel

The favourite memory of CSK fans would probably be the IPL 2018 final when Shane Watson single-handedly won CSK their third IPL title, scoring 117 runs off just 57 balls. He, however, had a quiet start to IPL 2019. The CSK management backed him, nonetheless, and he repaid their faith by scoring a 53-ball 96 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.

“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 you and have the confidence to do that, given the calibre of the players we’ve got,” Watson, who has scored 10,950 runs and picked 291 wickets for Australia, said.

Watson's IPL numbers are not bad either. In addition to two IPL trophies and winning the ‘Most Valuable Player’ award in 2008 and 2013, Watson has scored 3,575 runs and picked 92 wickets in 134 IPL matches.