Top Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has decided to call time on his competitive cricket career after Chennai Super Kings' exit from the Indian Premier League.
In a video titled ‘My retirement announcement’, 39-year-old Shane Watson said that it has been his childhood dream to play cricket for Australia. “And now as I officially announce my retirement from all cricket, I feel crazily lucky to have lived out my dream and then some. It really does feel like the right time,” he said. Adding that he played his last game of cricket ever for the Indian Premier League (IPL) team Chennai Super Kings (CSK), he said that the franchise has been ‘incredibly good’ to him in the last three years.
Confirming the news on his official Twitter handle on Tuesday, Shane Watson said, “This closing chapter is going to be so hard to top, but I am going to try. I truly am forever grateful to have lived this amazing dream. Now onto the next exciting one...#thankyou.”
This closing chapter is going to be so hard to top, but I am going to try.
— Shane Watson (@ShaneRWatson33) November 3, 2020
I truly am forever grateful to have lived this amazing dream.
Now onto the next exciting one...#thankyou https://t.co/Og8aiBcWpE
The news of his retirement broke on Monday, however, there was no confirmation from the player himself. He had told his CSK teammates about the decision to retire from all forms of cricket after the franchise’s last game of IPL this season, in which CSK defeated Kings XI Punjab. This season, he scored 299 runs in 11 games.
39-year-old Shane Watson is one of the few players to have won the IPL with two different teams.
He was a star for Rajasthan Royals during the inaugural edition (472 runs and 17 wickets) and in 2018, his century in the final post his international retirement won it for CSK, who had just come back from a two-year ban. During the triumphant 2018 season, Watson amassed 555 runs and picked up six wickets.
A sought-after player in the T20 format, Watson has 3874 runs in 145 IPL games with four hundreds and 21 fifties. He also has 92 wickets.
Former Australian all-rounder Tom Moody paid a tribute on twitter.
"The curtain closes on a remarkable @IPL career. Congratulations mate you've done yourself proud and made every team you've played in so complete," Moody tweeted.
The curtain closes on a remarkable @IPL career. Congratulations mate you’ve done yourself proud and made every team you’ve played in so complete. #ShaneWatson
— Tom Moody (@TomMoodyCricket) November 2, 2020
In the final against Mumbai Indians last year, he nearly won it for his team despite batting with a bloodied knee. He has played 59 Tests, 190 ODIs and 58 T20Is at the international level.