Shane Watson: An Amazing All-Rounder

Shane Watson, affectionately referred to as Watto, is an Australian international cricketer and IPL player who is currently signed up with the Chennai Super Kings . He began his career in 2002, playing in a tour of South Africa with the Test team. He played a total of 59 Test matches and 190 One Day Internationals before retiring in 2016. He was the last player to retire from Australia's golden era of cricket.

Throughout his career, Shane Watson was prone to injuries. Shane Watson’s injuries included hamstring strains, calf problems and hip complaints. Through grit and determination, Watson managed to overcome these obstacles and became one of the best all-rounders in the history of cricket.

Watson’s most memorable knocks include the semi-final and final of the 2009 Champions Trophy. Watson almost single-handedly took Australian Team to the title when he hit back-to-back sixes to complete his century and reach the target.

Shane Watson has tasted success off the field as well. In 2019, Watson was elected as the president of the Australian Cricketers' Association.

Watto’s Personal Details

Shane Watson’s Family and Personal Life

Shane Watson is married to Lee Furlong (now Lee Watson), an Australian television personality, sports presenter and model. The couple met in 2006 and tied the knot in 2010. The couple has two children, a son William Watson and a daughter Matilda Victoria Watson. He was the highest-paid non-Indian cricketer in the world from 2011 to 2015. It is estimated that Shane Watson’s net worth is around approx $5.9 million. Shane Watson describes himself as a family man and he was once quoted as saying that having children was “one of the most beautiful things in the world.”

Shane Watson’s IPL Batting Summary

Shane Watson IPL Bowling Summary

Shane Watson’s Records

Shane Watson has managed to add quite a few feathers to his cap during his long and illustrious career in cricket. Ever since he made his debut in 2002, Watson has broken numerous cricket records in Test matches, One Day Internationals and T20. Here’s a brief look at Shane Watson’s stats over the years:

One Day Internationals Records:

• Watson holds the record for the highest score by any batsman in a run-chase. He achieved the feat by scoring 185* against Bangladesh in 2011.
• Shane Watson also has the highest ODI batting average of any Australian opening batsmen who have scored over 1000 runs.
• The innings against Bangladesh in 2011 gave Watson two more records when he became the Australian batsman with the highest ODI score and the batsman with the most sixes in an innings.

Shane Watson’s IPL Records:

• Shane Watson is the only overseas cricketer to score a century and take a hat-trick in the history of the Indian Premier League .
• In the 2014 IPL season, Watson was the highest-paid overseas player and is one of the few cricketers to play for the same team for so long in the IPL.
• Shane Watson features in the top five century-makers in the IPL. With a record 4 centuries in the IPL, Watson is tied with David Warner .
• He was the first player to be awarded the Most Valuable Player/Man of the Series twice in the Indian Premier League. He received it once in 2008 and then again in 2013.

Shane Watson’s IPL Journey

When you look up Shane Watson’s IPL stats online, you will see why this man is ranked among the best all-rounders in the game. Right from the very first IPL tournament way back in 2008, Watson left an indelible mark on the tournament.

In the first season itself, Shane Watson was the leading run-scorer as well as the third-highest wicket-taker for the Rajasthan Royals . Watson was an integral part of the Royals' success story and helped them lift the cup at the end of the season.

As fate would have it, the Man of the Tournament of 2008 had to miss the next season of the IPL because of injuries and because he had international games lined up. Watson joined the IPL again in 2010 and was retained by the Rajasthan Royals. He continued to play for the team and went on to win the IPL 2013 Man of the Tournament award.

Watson was picked up by the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2016 and was even appointed as the captain for a few matches during the absence of Virat Kohli . The next couple of years of the IPL were a little rocky for Watson as he had to battle injuries and missed a few games. Following his modest performances during those seasons, Watson was up for auction again and was quickly signed by Chennai Super Kings in 2018.

Shane Watson’s CSK move proved to be a huge blessing for the team, especially when he scored an unbeaten 117 of 57 balls in the final match against Sunrisers Hyderabad . Thanks to Watson’s incredible knock and all-around performance all through the tournament, CSK won their third IPL title.

Experts later said that Watson single-handedly won the title for CSK by hitting a magnificent century while under pressure from the Sunrisers bowlers. Even though the 2019 IPL season was not the greatest for Watson, the team management, and especially captain Dhoni , continued to back the all-rounder. He managed to repay their confidence in him in the final against Mumbai Indians . He was the anchor for CSK and guided the run chase really well. Shane Watson’s IPL heroics fell short in the end and CSK fell just one run short of the title.

Shane Watson retired from all formats of the game after 2020’s IPL. The fans, grounds and the game would miss this remarkable player but you don’t have to miss out on winning lakhs. Download the BalleBaazi app and start making your fantasy cricket teams to WIN Lakhs by putting your knowledge of the game to use. Join your debut league for FREE, now!