Shane Watson reflects on Rajasthan Royals’ recent downturn in IPL 2024, noting a perceived lack of fighting spirit within the team. Despite four successive losses, RR, a franchise Shane Watson previously played for, holds onto second place in the points table with 16 points in 13 games, securing a playoff berth.
Shane Watson, a name that evokes images of thunderous sixes and fiery pace bowling, was a true force in Australian cricket. Throughout his playing career, Watson established himself as a dominant all-rounder. He was a right-handed batsman feared for his explosive strokeplay. Boundaries seemed to come effortlessly as he unleashed his power hitting. Watson wasn’t just a threat with the bat; his right-arm fast-medium bowling provided valuable support to the main attack, offering variety and brisk pace. He even held the record for the most consecutive weeks ranked No. 1 in Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) for a staggering 120 weeks. Watson’s international career spanned from 2002 to 2016 when he donned the Australian jersey across all formats – Test, ODI, and T20I. He even captained the team for a short period.
Since retiring from all forms of cricket in 2020, Watson has transitioned into coaching roles. He served as the assistant coach for the Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2022 season. His cricketing journey continues beyond the field as he lends his expertise to the sport as a commentator.
RR vs PBKS
In a one-sided affair, Rajasthan Royals’ batting woes continued as they were bundled out for a meagre 144 runs in the first innings of their IPL 2024 match against Punjab Kings. Despite opting to bat first, Rajasthan never really got going, with none of their batsmen able to convert starts into substantial scores. The only bright spot for Rajasthan was Riyan Parag, who struck a well-paced 48 runs. On the other hand, Punjab Kings’ bowlers were disciplined and accurate, with Rahul Chahar picking up two wickets.
Chasing a paltry target, Punjab Kings’ openers started cautiously but were jolted by early wickets from Trent Boult and Avesh Khan. However, skipper Sam Curran played a crucial knock of 63 runs, guiding his team home with seven balls to spare. Curran found good support from Jitesh Sharma (22 runs) as they stitched together a crucial partnership of 63 runs for the fifth wicket, ensuring victory for Punjab Kings.
Skipper Sam Curran shone brightly for PBKS, demonstrating excellence in all three departments of the game. He delivered a captain’s innings, scoring 63 runs off 41 balls, and followed it up with bowling figures of 2-24.
Despite enduring losses in the past four consecutive matches, RR still holds onto second place in the points table with 16 points from 13 games and has already secured a playoff spot, alongside Kolkata Knight Riders.
What Shane Watson Said
Shane Watson while speaking on JioCinema said,
“I have been very surprised with how the Rajasthan Royals have taken off. They were flying high with no weaknesses in their team. They were able to just mix and match when they really needed to. They have certainly lost momentum and tonight, it seemed no one was up for the fight. Sanju Samson is the captain, he’s willing everyone to be up for the fight. Avesh Khan, Riyan Parag did a job, but outside of them, everyone looked flat. This is not the time to be flat,”
“They need to get a few good performances under them and build their confidence to hit the playoffs flying. They are going in the other direction. For the Rajasthan Royals fans and players, that’s not what they want,” he added.
Mike Hesson On RR’s Recent Performances
Former New Zealand men’s head coach Mike Hesson commented on RR’s recent performance, highlighting,
“Every year for the last three years, RR have reached this point and suddenly, they have gotten quite funky,”
“It has happened every year. Every year when we are seven or eight games through, we are like, ‘RR are the team to beat!’. They lose one, have a bit of a confidence drop, lose a couple, then they start to look over their shoulder and overthink things. I think that’s the issue at the moment. They just need to go back to the basics and go back to everyone doing their job and standing up,” he added.
Parthiv Patel On Sam Curran
After a brilliant captain’s knock with both bat and ball from Sam Curran, former Indian cricketer Parthiv Patel commented,
“This was a season to forget, but he batted well today. He played a great innings, took responsibility, and played 41 balls. He took his time at the start and whenever it seemed like he was getting stuck, he pulled out some big shots,”
“He’s experienced under pressure as an international cricketer, that is what we saw today. When Punjab needed him the most, he won them the match,”