After serving a ban of two years for their involvement in the 2013 scandal, the Chennai Super Kings franchise is ready to make a comeback in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Ahead of the start of the players’ auction, CSK retained its core members MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja.
Later, Dhoni’s presence helped the team management to pick their squad for the upcoming season. As he was part of the team’s core decisions, CSK CEO Kasi Vishwanath has revealed that the former Indian skipper batted for the former Australian all-rounder’s inclusion in the side.
In the last two seasons, Watson played under Virat Kohli’s captaincy for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) where he failed to deliver as per his own lofty standards.
“We knew his potential as an allrounder. Anyone can have a bad season. We discussed with our captain MS Dhoni about the prospects of having Watson in the team and Dhoni was happy. We felt Watson still has a lot to offer,” Vishwanath was quoted as saying by the TOI.
After a below-par performance in IPL 2017, Watson showed he was far from done in the Big Bash League and was very impressive throughout the tournament.
“When we found out that he is fit and doing well in Big Bash League, we backed him. He has been terrific in the ongoing PSL as well. We are pleased with the way he has been shaping up.”
“Watson fits into the type of allrounders we have had in the past. Watson is a floater with the bat. He can preferably open but move around the order too. It was a conscious effort to have such a cricketer in the mix,” Vishwanath added.
Watto can prove to be a major asset for CSK this season, and with Dwayne Bravo being retained through Right To Match (RTM) card, CSK boast of two world-class all-rounders.
The Yellow army will play their first match against the defending champions Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 7.
