3 Indian cricketers that were groomed under Shane Warne at Rajasthan Royals
Shane Warne was undoubtedly one of the greatest cricketers to have played the game. His sudden demise has left the entire cricketing fraternity in a state of shock.
Warne's success on the international stage speaks volumes about the man. His mere presence on the cricket field had an aura. He could turn the pendulum of the match in favor of his team and there was never a dull moment when Warnie was bowling.
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He was among the pillars of one of the greatest teams to have played Test cricket - the Australian team from late 1990s to early 2007. 708 Test wickets at an average of 25.42 in 145 matches is no mean achievement. In ODIs, he scalped 293 wickets at a similar average of 25.74.
Leg spin was a fading art in the pace-dominated 1980s. But Warne enthralled audiences with his exceptional skills and made it fashionable. He came into the limelight when he dismissed Mike Gatting in 1993 on the very first ball he ever bowled in an Ashes series. The said delivery has been termed the 'ball of the century'.
Warne continued to torment the batsmen with his spin bowling for more than a decade after this. The rest is history.
Post his retirement, he was actively involved with the Rajashtan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and led the team to win the coveted trophy in the very first edition of the tournament, in 2008.
He helped shape the careers of many young cricketers and had a positive influence on them. Here is a look at 3 Indian cricketers whose careers took a positive turn under the guidance of Warne at Rajasthan Royals.
#1 Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja was nicknamed 'Rockstar' by Shane Warne during their time in Rajasthan Royals. Jadeja was only 20 when the first edition of the IPL took place. Although he did not taste much success in the said edition of the league, the youngster benefitted immensely from the leadership of the Aussie legend.
🏻Absolutely shocked to hear about Shane Warne. A terrific statesman of our game. May God bless his soul and my condolences to his loved ones. 🙏🏻
A year later, he made his T20I and ODI debut for India and has, since, proven to be a match-winner.
Jadeja is currently an indispensable all-rounder for the Indian team in all three formats. He averages 35.34 with the bat in Test cricket and 32.58 in ODIs. He has 232 Test wickets and 188 ODI wickets to his credit as well.
#2 Munaf Patel
Munaf Patel played a handful of ODIs before the inaugural edition of the IPL and was yet to establish himself in the Indian team. The first edition of the league witnessed Munaf representing Rajasthan Royals under the leadership of Shane Warne.
Thereafter, his career graph turned around for good. He was a vital part of the Indian ODI set-up in the 2009-11 period. He picked up 11 wickets at an average of 32.09 in the 2011 ICC World Cup and was among the unsung heroes for team India in that tournament.
India won the 2011 World Cup and Munaf played a huge role in the success of his team.
#3 Yusuf Pathan
The elder Pathan brother's cricket career was also greatly influenced by Shane Warne through Rajasthan Royals. Yusuf Pathan tasted success in the inaugural edition of IPL in 2008 and averaged 31.07 with the bat that season.
His strike rate of 179.01 with the bat was one of the factors that led to the success of his team.
Pathan played 57 ODIs and 22 T20Is for Team India and was a handy all-rounder. He was a member of the Indian squad that won the 2011 ICC World Cup.
The all-rounder averaged 29.13 with the bat in 154 IPL innings through his career, with an exceptional strike rate of 142.97. He also picked up 42 wickets in the league.
Pathan was a changed cricketer after he played under Warne and subsequently also scripted a few match-winning knocks for the Indian team on the international stage.