Rajasthan Royals (RR) were the champions of the inaugural edition of the IPL and that team that they had was just for an edition. Since then they have come close but it wasn’t enough. Back in 2011, there were just a couple of retentions made by the Rajasthan Royals and that was of Shane Warne, their captain in the first two seasons and Shane Watson, one of the most successful all-rounders in the IPL.
As we talk about the retentions and releases, here’s a quick rundown of where the two legends of the game are:
#1 Shane Warne
From 55 matches, Shane Warne claimed 57 wickets in IPL at an overall economy rate of 7.27. His best numbers came in the first season of the tournament as he registered figures of 19 wickets at an economy rate of 7.76. The Emperor of leg-spin who was fairly new to T20 cricket did herald the Rajasthan Royals to glory in the maiden edition of the IPL.
The icon of the game passed away at the unripe age of 52 years in Ko Samui, Thailand from coronary artery atherosclerosis as his official death certificate read.
#2 Shane Watson
Another juggernaut of an Aussie who has been an eminent all-rounder, ushering glory to significant teams, Watto was retained by Rajasthan Royals. The all-rounder redefined the bounds of hard-hitting with a handful of impressive knocks. Not only was he a mainstay with the bat but also with the ball in his hands and in the field, Watto was a sensation to savour.
He is currently a mental skills coach, cricket coach and the head coach of the PSL franchise, Quetta Gladiators. He also runs a podcast of his own where he talks about the mental strength and the right headspace that makes a player thrive across any format.
