MS Dhoni wanted to draft Shane Watson in, says CSK CEO

Former Australian All-Rounder Shane Watson had a tough time in the last Indian Premier League (IPL) season with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

He failed miserably as he was able to score only 78 runs off the eight games and leaked too many runs whilst bowling. Subsequently, he was released by the franchise and picked for Rs 4 crore by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in January Auction.

MS Dhoni is well known for finding talents and using them in the right place at the right time. When all the other teams were busy in picking youngsters, CSK picked experienced players one after another. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CSK, Kasi Vishwanath, revealed the role of CSK skipper in bagging Watson.

Vishwanath explained why Dhoni was in favour of buying the Australian all-rounder, “We knew his potential as an allrounder. Anyone can have a bad season. We discussed with our captain MS Dhoni about the prospects of having Watson in the team and Dhoni was happy. We felt Watson still has a lot to offer,” Vishwanath was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

After having a bad IPL season, Watson showed his prime form in the Big Bash League (BBL) and the Pakistan Super League (PSL). “When we found out that he is fit and doing well in Big Bash League, we backed him. He has been terrific in the ongoing PSL as well. We are pleased with the way he has been shaping up,” Vishwanath added.

Watson turned out to be a valuable asset for the franchise with Dwayne Bravo retained by using Right To Match (RTM) card,

“Watson fits into the type of allrounders we have had in the past. Watson is a floater with the bat. He can preferably open but move around the order too. It was a conscious effort to have such a cricketer in the mix”, he concluded.