IPL News: Shane Watson reveals he will not bowl much for CSK this season
What's the story?
Chennai Super Kings opener, Shane Watson has revealed that he will not roll his arm much in this year's Indian Premier League and will primarily feature as a batsman in the CSK playing XI.
Watson was one of the premier all-rounders of his time when he was a regular for the Australian team. However, Watto has passed his prime and has become injury prone. Thus, he is working hard to stay fit enough to bat.
The background
Shane Watson had made a name for himself by performing well in the Indian Premier League for the Rajasthan Royals. His match-winning contributions with both bat and ball had helped Rajasthan register victories in crucial games.
With his impressive display in T20 cricket, the all-rounder became the most sought player in all the domestic T20 leagues. Cricket Australia also appointed him as their T20I skipper but due to his rising age, the Queensland-born player decided to call it a day on his international career.
He continued playing in the T20 leagues as an all-rounder but his fast-medium pace was not so effective as it was earlier. In IPL 2016, he was a part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore franchise, who were eyeing their first IPL title by qualifying for the final. Watson, being the team's top all-rounder was assigned the duty of bowling 4 overs in the ultimate game but the Aussie leaked 61 runs as RCB lost the game.
The heart of the matter
Watson moved to Chennai Super Kings last year, where he played primarily as an opening batsman. He bowled only 168 balls in 15 matches which shows that he had reduced the use of his bowling.
Last night, Watto played a magnificent knock of 44 runs to hammer the Delhi Capitals in their home ground. The Australian player received the man of the match award for his match-winning contribution.
He took part in an interview in the post-match presentation where he revealed that he had developed a calf injury in the Big Bash League and that he is just staying fit enough to be able to bat. Due to his injury, he may not bowl much for the Chennai outfit this year.
What's next?
Chennai Super Kings have a plethora of bowling options in their squad this season and looking the way how Watson batted last night, MS Dhoni would not risk his fitness by having him bowl a few overs in the middle.
Follow Sportskeeda for all the updates on IPL 2019 news, points table, live scores, orange cap, purple cap, and fantasy tips.