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.
Well done, @ChennaiIPL. A great display of quality cricket. Certainly the most consistent side of the tournament. A special knock from @ShaneRWatson33 in a crucial game which saw them through. #CSKvSRH #IPL2018Final pic.twitter.com/HhuaQJPbEF
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) May 27, 2018
Shane Watson - the only man to twice be IPL man of the tournament, and now a centurion in an IPL final - is one of the greatest T20 cricketers of all time
— Tim (@timwig) May 27, 2018
How to score a century the @ShaneRWatson33 way:
— ICC (@ICC) May 27, 2018
1) Don't score off your first 10 balls 🚫
2) Reach 💯 off the next 41 balls!
What an innings! Just the second player ever to score a ton in an IPL final 👏#IPL2018Final #CSKvSRH pic.twitter.com/ihXkbHqwwm
Big match players... shine on the big stage. Shane Watson just took to the stage; like he owns it @IPL #Final @ChennaiIPL #CSKvSRH
— Anjum Chopra (@chopraanjum) May 27, 2018
Shane Watson's innings today. #CSKvSRH pic.twitter.com/z0EPUGraj7
— SAGAR (@sagarcasm) May 27, 2018
Biggest team sports matches are often settled by some brilliant individual performance because best players always step up when it matters the most. Shane Watson's century is another such display of incredible brilliance. #IPL2018Final #CSKvSRH
— Ujwal Kr Singh (@UjwalKS) May 27, 2018
So not even having DRS in the IPL could stop Watson. He's indestructible. A yellow cockroach. What a stunning effort. #IPL2018Final
— Pavilion Opinions (@pavilionopinion) May 27, 2018
For 10 balls @ShaneRWatson33 looked clueless. For the next 47, the bowlers were clueless! #IPLFinal @ChennaiIPL
— Gautam Bhimani (@gbhimani) May 27, 2018
That's got to be the best knock in the #IPLfinal history surely? @SunRisers have been the team to beat throughout the tournament and they can be extremely proud.Sometimes you can't do anything when an individual plays like that.Hats off #shanewatson and well deserved @ChennaiIPL
— Brendan Taylor (@BrendanTaylor86) May 27, 2018
Against one of the strongest bowling attacks in IPL history, in the final & on the biggest stage - that is one of the great IPL innings from Shane Watson. He held his nerve to absorb massive early pressure before kicking on with crisp, powerful ball-striking. #IPL
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) May 27, 2018
Chennai Super Kings’ third title-winning effort came in for a lot of praise.
Very very special performance @ChennaiIPL @ShaneRWatson33 take a bow mate...#crushedit God Bless you all as our beloved festival of @IPL comes to a conclusion. Love you India❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/sDHeLJucwq
— Matthew Hayden AM (@HaydosTweets) May 27, 2018
Congratulations to @msdhoni and @ChennaiIPL for winning the 2018 @IPL the two best teams got the finals but the best team won.
— Daren Sammy (@darensammy88) May 27, 2018
Congratulations Chennai Superkings on becoming deserving champions of the biggest T20 tournament in the world. Brilliant throughout the tournament and the wonderful people from Chennai and whole of TN deserve this @ChennaiIPL . #IPL2018Final
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) May 27, 2018
With an average age of 33, CSK were mocked as 'Dad's Army' post the auction. After 6 weeks and 60 matches, at the Wankhede, they have proved that indeed baap baap hota hai. #SRHvCSK
— jigar mehta (@jigsactin) May 27, 2018
And we all thought this team is too old to go the distance. We ALL did. #IPL
— cricBC (@cricBC) May 27, 2018
The legend of @msdhoni grows a few more notches further. What a great IPL season he's had, as batsman and captain!
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) May 27, 2018
The return of Chennai Super Kings is complete. #IPL2018Final
— Chetan Narula (@chetannarula) May 27, 2018
In CSK's case often this tournament, the sum of a solitary performance has been greater than the whole. Different heroes at different points - Rayudu, Watson, Dhoni, Raina, Ngidi and a few more #IPL2018Final #CSKvSRH #IPL2018
— Arun Venugopal (@scarletrun) May 27, 2018
Well done @ChennaiIPL, #vivoipl2018 champions once again. The fire and the yellow-army burn as bright as ever in MS Dhoni and his men. Well played again @DJBravo47 #CHAMPION🏅🏅🏅.👏👏👏
— ian bishop (@irbishi) May 27, 2018
#CSK IS BACK! BACK TO WHERE THEY BELONG! #IPL2018
— RK (@RK_sports) May 27, 2018
