Shane Watson century sees Rajasthan Royals through to playoffs

Not often does an opener bat for full 20 overs. Shane Watson did it with complete authority and freedom after being relieved of the burdens of captaincy to play one of the best T20 knocks by an opener in recent times to guide Rajasthan Royals into the playoffs.

With a nine-run over defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders, RR took their points tally to 16 to seal their playoff berth. It also meant that the defending champions KKR are all but out of the tournament. KKR finished on 15 points, the same as Royal Challengers Bangalore, who have a better net run rate and also a game on hand on Sunday against Delhi Daredevils. The only way for KKR to sneak through is if RCB lost so badly that their net run rate fell below KKR’s. The league stage’s last game – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians on Sunday night – will see one of the two going to 16 points. Chennai Super Kings are already perched on top with 18 points.

It was a must-game for both the sides in action at the Brabourne Stadium here on Saturday. However, there can be only one winner and it happened to be Rajasthan Royals, who appeared to make no mistake right from the toss. Making their victory more memorable was the manner in which the Australian all-rounder Watson batted.

Relieved of captaincy to focus on his game – both with bat and ball – the 33-year-old Queenslander played with a free mind. It showed in the way he effortlessly picked up the boundaries including the hits over the ropes. He took a special liking to former Pakistan all-rounder and Surrey professional Azhar Mahmood, who was playing his first game this IPL and his first T20 since August 2014. Mahmood, for his 40 years and loads of T20 experience, came a cropper, spraying all over for Watson to make merry.

Watson could not have asked for a better stage to post his career-best T20 score and also his second century in 152 appearances. His unbeaten 104 (59b, 9x4, 5x6) saw Royals fall one short of a perfect 10 run rate.

Rajasthan Royals seemed to be heading to a total in excess of 200, considering the start Ajinkya Rahane and Watson gave. The openers maintained a run rate of 10 an over till the first eight before Rahane ran himself out, going for a second run in the anxiety of regaining the strike, for 37. Rahane and Watson went neck-and-neck in terms of scoring runs, picking up the fours and sixes with ease besides good running between the wickets until the run out.

However, KKR came back into the game in a tremendous manner in the middle overs, courtesy Shakib Al Hasan and Andre Russell. RR’s flow of runs dried up as that phase saw three four-run overs (8th, 11th and 12th overs) and one seven-run over (13th over) Russell also succeeded in dismissing the dangerous captain Steve Smith and Sanju Samson in successive overs.

The contest for the most effective bowler was between Hasan and Russell as both kept pressure on the RR batsman in the middle overs with the Jamaican medium-pacer picking up a wicket each in his second, third and fourth overs. Hasan’s spell may have been spoilt by the free-flowing Watson, who was not perturbed by wickets falling in a hurry at the other end. While Russell bowled one straight spell of four overs, his figures may have been worse than 3/32 as Watson was off the strike for major part.

Just as the run rate dipped below 10, an 18-run over by Mahmood in the 17th over of the innings, courtesy Watson’s brilliance in going aerial while also finding the gaps to perfection, restored order for Royals.

Chasing at exactly 10 an over was achievable, considering the depth with which KKR bats. But when you lose both the openers inside three overs to reckless shots, it becomes too much for the ensuing batsmen. Yusuf Pathan and Manish Pandey tried their best to keep KKR in the hunt with their second-wicket partnership of 56 in 5.1 overs but they KKR were trailing RR after every over until the 11th. KKR surged ahead of RR in the 12th and 13th overs before the effective Chris Morris struck twice in the 14th over to seal it for RR. The arrival of Andre Russell and his fourth-wicket stand of 55 in 31 balls with a well-set Pathan only threatened to take the game away from Royals. But only as much. It was Watson again in the end, with the ball, picking up wickets at the death to shut the doors on KKR.

Truly a game dominated by Watson from start till end.