Top 5 picks by Rajasthan Royals in IPL history

1. Shane Watson

Shane Watson

The star Australian All-rounder was picked up by the Royals in the inaugural IPL auctions for USD 125,000. Watson was very consistent both with the bat and the ball during the 2008 season and emerged with the most valuable player of the tournament award for his all-round performance of 472 runs and 17 wickets.

He played a lot of match-winning innings and was a dependable player for the team for many seasons. Watson scored his maiden century in T20 cricket against the Chennai Super Kings at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. He scored a flamboyant 101 runs off 61 balls. His solid performances continued and he subsequently went on to win the 2013 Man of the Tournament award as well.

When the player auctions were held in 2014, Watson was retained by the Royals for USD $2 million, making him the highest-paid foreign player and one of the few international cricketers to play for the same IPL franchise from the commencement of the tournament. He was also appointed the captain of the team for the 2014 season.