Shane Warne's top 3 spells in IPL

Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne passed away on March 4 due to a suspected heart attack. Sportskeeda sends its heartfelt condolences to his family in these times. May the legend rest in peace.

Warne was one of the greatest ever to grace the beautiful sport - with over 1000 wickets in his international career. He was also a superstar in the Indian Premier League, leading the Rajasthan Royals to a title win in the inaugural season.

He played 55 matches in the IPL and took 57 wickets at an economy rate of 7.27. Let's take a look at three of Shane Warne's best bowling performances in the tournament.

#3 3/24 vs Mumbai Indians, Kingsmead 2009

Rajasthan Royals won the toss and opted to bat first in this high-octane clash. They scored 145/7 in the first innings, as Rob Quiney (51) and Ravindra Jadeja (42) scored crucial knocks in order to ensure that the team reaches a respectable total to defend.

Shane Warne was introduced in the fifth over of the powerplay. He bowled exceptionally well and deceived Ajinkya Rahane with a flighted delivery on leg stump. He followed it up with another economical over right after the field restrictions were taken off.

The Aussie spinner then dismissed the dangerous Sanath Jayasuriya in the 11th over of the chase, making things even harder for Mumbai. Warne came back into the attack when MI needed another 48 runs in the final five overs. He dismissed Sachin Tendulkar, who was well set with 40 runs.

Shane Warne won the Player of the Match award as Rajasthan won the game by just two runs.

#2 3/16 vs Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Sawai Man Singh 2011

Rajasthan Royals won the toss and opted to bowl first on the slow wicket at the Sawai Man Singh, Jaipur. Shane Warne introduced himself in the eighth over of the innings when Kochi was 40/2 with Brad Hodge and Parthiv Patel at the crease.

The Aussie conceded just two runs in his first over and dismissed Hodge, who tried to slash the ball that turned away from him. He ended up dragging it on his stumps and was bowled. In his next two overs, Warne conceded 12 runs without any dismissals. He did manage to keep the opposition quiet though.

The spinner came back for his final over in the 16th over of the innings when Kochi had settled down a bit with 88 runs on the board and seven wickets in hand. He got the wickets of Jadeja and Parthiv in quick succession and gave away just two runs.

Rajasthan won the match comfortably by eight wickets and more than five overs to spare. Shane Warne was awarded the Player of the Match for his exceptional performance.

#1 4/21 vs Deccan Chargers, Nagpur 2010

Rajasthan Royals won the toss and opted to bat first. They scored 159 runs in the first innings, as Shane Watson (58) and Faiz Fazal (36) were the major contributors. In response, the Chargers were cruising at 86/2 in the 11th over of the chase.

However, the dismissal of Symonds triggered a collapse. Warne was introduced and conceded nine runs in his first over. His next two overs were game-defining.

The spinner dismissed Anirudh Singh with a slider outside the off-stump. In his third over, the Aussie conceded only four runs and dismissed Dwayne Smith. He increased the required run rate to above 9 but Watson bowled an expensive over to follow it up.

The Chargers required another 23 runs in the final three overs. He dismissed Bilakhia and Harris and conceded just four runs, bringing the Royals right back into the game. Rajasthan eventually won the match by just two runs and Warne was adjudged the Player of the Match.