Shane Watson CSK blood knee. ( Photo Source -Instagram/Harbhajan Turbanator Singh)
Over the years, we have seen cricketers giving their all in order to help their team get over the line in both franchise and international cricket. Anil Kumble played with a broken jaw against West Indies in the past, Graeme Smith played with a broken thumb, and Virat Kohli played against Punjab Kings with multiple stitches on his hands, a few examples of players going out of the box in order to get the job done. One such example was when Shane Watson played with a bloodied knee during the 2019 finals of the Indian Premier League.
Notably, in the match against Mumbai Indians at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, Chennai needed 150 runs to win the match and lift their fourth title in history. Opening the innings with Watson, Faf du Plessis walked back to the pavilion scoring only 26 runs while the middle and lower middle order collapsed under pressure. The former Australia international Watson was fighting like a one-man army and scored 80 runs off 59 deliveries but couldn’t help Chennai win the match.
The MS Dhoni-led side eventually lost the match by just one run, as the fans were very emotional on both social media and on the ground. For Mumbai, Jasprit Bumrah picked up two wickets, while Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar and Lasith Malinga picked up one each.
My heart says CSK, but my head says GT: Watson
After missing out on the trophy in 2019, Chennai Super Kings won it in the 2021 edition and in 2023, they are on the verge of winning the title for the fifth time. Notably, the four-time champions will be taking on Gujarat Titans on May 28 and ahead of that, Shane Watson revealed that even though his heart says that CSK can win the trophy, his mind feels otherwise.
“My heart says CSK, but my head says GT. I hope my heart overwrites my head, MS Dhoni and his team win their fifth title. It will be a great achievement; fingers crossed. Whistle Podu,” Watson stated on his Instagram video.