Shane Warne passed away earlier today in Thailand because of a suspected heart attack. The former Australian leg-spinner was the first player in the history of the Indian Premier League to win the trophy as captain. The IPL has become the world’s biggest T20 league now, and back in 2008, Warne won the inaugural IPL season as the skipper of the Rajasthan Royals.
Not many fans considered the Royals as favorites to win the title back then but Shane Warne led the team filled with youngsters like Swapnil Asnodkar, Ravindra Jadeja, Yusuf Pathan, Shane Watson and others to the first-ever IPL championship. The Rajasthan Royals defeated the Chennai Super Kings in a nail-biting finale to capture the IPL trophy.
After that season, Warne continued to lead the Rajasthan Royals. Although the Royals could not win another trophy, fans always enjoyed their brand of cricket because they backed the youngsters and gave future superstars to the world of cricket. After retirement, Warne became a mentor for the Rajasthan Royals team. He even held some stake in the franchise recently.
Given his close association with the Rajasthan Royals franchise, the Jaipur-based IPL team penned a heartfelt tribute to him on social media. They noted how Warne was their first player and wrote:
“Shane Warne. The name stands for magic. Our first Royal; a man who made us believe that impossible is just a myth. A leader who walked the walk, talked the talk, and turned underdogs into champions. A mentor who turned everything he touched into gold.”
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) March 4, 2022
Shane Warne dismissed Rohit Sharma in his last IPL match
Warne played his last IPL match in the 2011 season against the Mumbai Indians. The right-arm leg-spinner returned with figures of 1/30 in that game. His last IPL wicket was Rohit Sharma.
Mumbai Indians scored 133/5 in their 20 overs, and the Rajasthan Royals chased the 134-run target with 10 wickets in hand. It was a great ending to Warne’s IPL career as RR beat MI by 10 wickets.
