"I probably didn't understand how good a squad they had put together" - Shane Watson on which team has surprised him so far in IPL 2022
Delhi Capitals (DC) assistant coach Shane Watson has picked Rajasthan Royals (RR) as the team that has surprised him the most in IPL 2022. The Royals had a blazing start to their campaign, thrashing Sunrisers Hyderabad by 61 runs at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Tuesday.
Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson believes the 2008 IPL winners did an excellent job at the IPL 2022 mega auction, putting together a well-balanced squad. Speaking on a YouTube podcast 'The Grade Cricketer', Watson said:
"The team that probably surprised me the most is my old team Rajasthan Royals. The team they put together in their first game against the Sunrisers, they have got a really well-balanced team."
He added:
"They have got Sanju Samson, Devdutt Padikkal, who played for RCB last year, Jos Buttler and Shimron Hetmyer as well. He is a well-skilled power-hitter. Trent Boult, Ashwin, Krishna, who is a fast bowler and was with KKR, so they have got some good depth. They have probably surprised me the most. I probably didn't understand how good a squad they had put together."
The Rajasthan franchise also has strong bench strength, with quality youngsters waiting for an opportunity to impress. Although it's still early days in the competition, RR appear to be one of the tournament contenders already.\
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"It's really hard to hold on to the ball and defend the total" - Shane Watson on the dew factor
The 40-year-old also highlighted that dew could play a significant role throughout the tournament with the increase in temperature in Mumbai. Watson also added that IPL teams are training with wet balls to get accustomed to the conditions.
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Elaborating on the dew factor, Watson said:
"The other thing that stands out for me around this whole tournament is the dew factor. If you are bowling second, it's really hard to hold on to the ball and defend the total. So, that's going to be a factor even as it gets hotter. I don't understand how dew sets in, but it is going to be huge."
He concluded:
"So in training, a lot of wet balls are going around, dunking balls in the bucket to probably get accustomed to what might come into play throughout the tournament."
Of the six games played in IPL 2022, only one team batting first has won.