A Lot Of Expectations And Pressure Comes From Your Franchise: Shane Watson On Heavy Price Tag In IPL
Published - 21 Feb 2022, 01:29 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 01:04 AM
Former Australian player Shane Watson admitted that players thrive to absorb the expectation and pressure of their hefty price tag in IPL.
Watson played 13 seasons of IPL for Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings.
Shane Watson’s IPL journey
The former Australian batter spent his first eight seasons with the Royals, he moved to RCB in 2016 when the franchise was suspended for two seasons.
Watson played his final IPL days under MS Dhoni at CSK before announcing his retirement from all formats of the game soon after IPL 2020. He won IPL titles with RR (in 2008) and CSK (in 2018). Watson was bought by RCB for a huge sum of INR 9.5 crore in 2016.
IPL pirce tag does provide different complexities: Shane Watson
The former Rajasthan Royals skipper said playing in IPL is an ultimate level of feeling because of the exposure it gives to an individual. Watson said the IPL price tag is something which asks players to deliver at their very best and cited the examples of England star players Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes struggling with the challenge.
“It (price tag) does provide different complexities and I experienced that throughout my IPL journey. But it is the exciting part about the IPL. The opportunity to play with people from a cricketing point of view with so many of the best players in the world and the whole experience of being in the IPL is the ultimate. It’s as good as it gets,” said Watson on the ‘ICC Review’ show video posted on Twitter.
“Definitely, with the high price tag, comes a lot of expectations and pressure from your franchise. It is not until you get into the game-time when you really know how to absorb that expectation that is there. I have seen a number of players who have had that expectation and they thrived under it — Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer are those sorts of guys,” he added.
Stokes did not enroll for the IPL 2022 auction but Archer, who is vulnerable to injuries, was sold to five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians for INR 8 crore.
Also Read: IPL 2022: I Haven’t Spoken To Gujarat Titans Exactly About What My Role Will Be – Matthew Wade
