Incredible how Stephen Fleming and MS Dhoni trust their players: Shane Watson

Former Australian cricketer Shane Watson has lauded Stephen Fleming and MS Dhoni for backing their players in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Watson has been a part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise since 2018 and has played some match-winning knocks. In the first four games of the ongoing edition, the veteran averaged a mere 13, scoring only 52 runs.

However, he put his best foot forward against the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Watson scored 83 off 53 balls with the help of 11 fours and three sixes. His unbeaten 181-run stand with Faf du Plessis helped CSK chase down 179 with 14 balls to spare.

They trust the players: Shane Watson

About head coach Fleming and skipper Dhoni, the Queensland-born Watson said that the duo shows faith in the players even when things don’t go in the team’s favour.

“What Fleming and MS Dhoni do, it is incredible. They trust the players; they trust the quality and calibre of their players. They know if they keep the faith, the things will certainly change,” Watson was quoted as saying to Faf in a video uploaded on IPLT20.com, reported by Business World.

Before Sunday’s match, CSK had their fair share of troubles in their batting department. But after CSK’s 10-wicket win in Dubai, the Yellow Army would have taken a sigh of relief. Watson was happy that the Super Kings got back to winning ways after losing three matches on the trot. The team also got themselves to the sixth position in the points table from being the cellar dwellers.

“It was nice to spend some time with my good mate Faf in the middle. It is amazing how a little change in mindset can make a big difference in getting things moving. It was nice to get some winning momentum. The faith that CSK continues to show in their players goes a long way. I love batting with Faf, I do believe that we complement each other really well,” he added.

As far as Faf was concerned, he had an excellent outing as well. The former South African captain notched 87 runs off 53 balls with 11 fours and one six. Overall, he has 282 runs in IPL 2020 at an average and strike-rate of 94 and 150 respectively to go with three fifties.