Australian Shane Watson has announced his retirement from all forms of the game.
The 39-year-old called time on his 20-year career after Chennai Super Kings failed to make the IPL 2020 playoffs.
Watson retired from international cricket with Australia in 2016 but has continued to play in the IPL and other domestic T20 leagues around the world.
He scored 14 in his final game for Chennai against KXIP last weekend.
He said: “It really does feel like the right time now that I've played my last game of cricket ever for my beloved CSK.
“To think that I'm finishing my playing days as a 39-year-old, after all of my injury setbacks, I feel so ridiculously fortunate.”
Watson played in 59 Tests, 190 ODIs 58 T20Is for the Baggy Greens.
As well as making six centuries in his domestic T20 career, he also holds the record for the highest individual men's ODI score for Australia. That came when he made an unbeaten 185 against Bangladesh in April 2011.
Watson an IPL Star
Shane Watson has won the IPL title with Rajasthan Royals in 2008 and again with Chennai in 2018. He was also named the player of the tournament in the inaugural year.
The Aussie also wrote his name in the IPL record books when he became the first overseas player to score a century and take a hat-trick in the tournament.
He spent seven years with Rajasthan before an unsuccessful move to Royal Challengers Bangalore.
However, Watson was soon starring again after being bought at auction in 2018 by CSK. He went on to play a massive part in their title win that year, most notably hitting a 57-ball 117 in the final against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Overall, he has smashed 3,874 runs and picked up 92 wickets during a brilliant IPL career.
“It all started as a dream as a young kid saying to my mum, as I watched a Test match, that I want to play for Australia. Now as I officially announce my retirement from all cricket I feel crazily lucky to live my dream,” Watson said in a video posted on his Twitter handle.
“This closing chapter is going to be so hard to top, but I am going to try. I truly am forever grateful to have lived this amazing dream. Now onto the next exciting one,” Watson added.
