Shane Watson smashed an unbeaten 117 as Chennai Super Kings thrashed Sunrisers Hyderabad to win their third Indian Premier League title in a spectacular return from a two-year corruption ban.

The 36-year-old Australian hit eight sixes and 11 fours in a stunning 57 ball innings as Chennai took just 18.3 overs to overcome Hyderabad’s 178-6 off 20 overs. And to think he started the innings with 10 dot balls!

Chennai finished on 181-2 to crush their opponents by eight wickets. They have now equalled the Mumbai Indians in winning the world’s wealthiest cricket tournament for the third time since it started in 2008.

Ambati Rayudu was also unbeaten at the end on 16 in Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium which was packed with more than 33,000 people. This was, incidentally, Rayudu’s fourth IPL title as a player, as was the case for Harbhajan Singh, who joined Rohit Sharma in the elite group.

Watson’s efforts set Twitter abuzz, of course.

Chennai Super Kings’ third title-winning effort came in for a lot of praise.