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Kevin Pietersen, Gautam Gambhir hail CSK veteran Shane Watson as the best IPL player till date

Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen and former India opener Gautam Gambhir lavished praise on veteran Chennai Super Kings player Shane Watson and hailed him as one of the best players in the history of the Indian Premier League.

Kevin Pietersen, Gautam Gambhir hail CSK veteran Shane Watson as the best IPL player of all time

Mumbai, April 22: Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen and former India opener Gautam Gambhir lavished praise on veteran Chennai Super Kings player Shane Watson and hailed him as one of the best players in the history of the Indian Premier League.

The Indian Premier League has witnessed some of the finest performances on cricket pitch all through its twelve seasons and Watson, who played for Rajasthan Royals in the first few seasons, has left his mark across these years. Watson, one of the most decorated all-rounders in the storied history of the tournament, was nominated as the G.O.A.T all-rounder on Star Sports' flagship show Cricket Connected.

Why did MS Dhoni back Shane Watson at Chennai Super Kings despite modest formWhy did MS Dhoni back Shane Watson at Chennai Super Kings despite modest form

After a couple of forgettable seasons, the former Australia cricketer proved his worth in gold ever since his inclusion with CSK in IPL 2018. Watson topped an elite nominee list that included Andre Russel, Dwayne Bravo, Jacques Kallis, Kieron Pollard, Yusuf Pathan, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja and Irfan Pathan.

The last two years have been nothing short of phenomenal for Watson, the first player to win Man of the Tournament in the IPL twice. Having featured in 134 IPL games so far, the 38-year-old sublime batting all-rounder has amassed 3575 runs at an excellent strike-rate of 139.53.

Despite having to overcome a string of fitness issues, Watson has punched above his weight to take the Yellow Army to many a famous win. In IPL 2019 final, he nearly carried CSK to another title, despite a bloodied knee.

Speaking about Watson's greatness, former England captain Kevin Pietersen said on the latest episode of Star Sports' show Cricket Connected, "He has been such a player that if his bowling has gone off, his batting has become a lot better. I have played with him for a couple of years. He would have bowled so much faster had he not had so many back issues as a youngster. When he was younger, he used to bowl really fast."

Gambhir too showered praise on Watson's all-round abilities and termed him the best player of the tournament in 12 years.

"If we talk about the past 12 years, for me Shane Watson is the best player because he has done magic with Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings. No doubt, his bowling was on a decline in the latter half of his career, but he had an overall impact on the game. He was an excellent player when he used to play for Rajasthan Royals. He not only used to bowl with the new ball but also batted in the middle order. If you ask me the same question two to three years down the line, Andre Russell will win, hands down. But right now, I will go with Shane Watson," said Gambhir.

Ex-New Zealand pacer and renowned commentator Danny Morrison lavished praise on Watson too and said, "I live in the land of Shane Watson. It's Kevin Pietersen's all-time favourite city. Brisbane is where's Watto's from, he's loved to bits and pieces. He is a guy you will want to have in your line-up."

Story first published: Wednesday, April 22, 2020, 17:21 [IST]
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