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'Knew To Say Right Things,' Watson Shares A Heartwarming Dhoni Moment From CSK Days

Rajgeeta Yadav

Shane Watson with MS Dhoni [Source: @TrendsDhoni/X.com]Shane Watson with MS Dhoni [Source: @TrendsDhoni/X.com]

Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson had an unforgettable journey in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Over the years, he has played for several IPL franchises and even won titles with Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Watson wrapped up his illustrious IPL career with CSK, playing under MS Dhoni from 2018 to 2020. Reflecting on those memorable years, Watson shared a special moment involving Dhoni.

In a chat with LiSTNR Sport, Shane Watson recalled a particular instance during the 2018 season.

"One moment that stand-out in those CSK days - we were in a team meeting, pretty sure it was 1 vs 2 game in 2018, we were in a circle, I was having a calf niggle which I was managing and MS Dhoni told 'Just look after Watto' - make sure he is okay, someone of his stature to say like this, it feels like bullet Proof, I was bigger & better than before, like MS Dhoni is looking after me - he just knew to say right things at right time."

MS Dhoni Gears Up for IPL 2025

The “Thala” of Chennai, MS Dhoni, is set to return to the cricket field for his 18th IPL season. Earlier this month, CSK released their retention list, in which MS Dhoni was retained under the ‘uncapped player’ category for INR 4 Crore, ensuring that their fan favorite stays with the team for at least one more season.

Alongside Dhoni, CSK has also secured key players like Ruturaj Gaikwad for INR 18 Crore, Ravindra Jadeja for the same amount, Matheesha Pathirana for INR 13 Crore, and Shivam Dube for INR 12 Crore. With these retentions, CSK has already spent INR 65 Crore from their total purse of INR 120 Crore, leaving them with INR 55 Crore to finalize their squad in the mega auction. 

The IPL 2025 auction will happen on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This will be just the second time the auction is being held outside India—the last one in 2024 took place in Dubai.