IPL 2019 final: Shane Watson batted with a bleeding leg to take CSK to the doorstep of victory

It won’t find its way into cricketing folklore the way that the 2004 World Series-winning Boston Red Sox’s pitcher Curt Schilling’s bloody sock has in Major League Baseball, but the image of Shane Watson batting with a bloodied left leg is testament to the Australian allrounder’s dedication to the job for Chennai Super Kings.

On Sunday night during the 2019 IPL final between defending champions CSK and Mumbai Indians in Hyderabad, Watson carried the chase towards 150 almost single-handedly with a heroic 80 off 59 balls before he was run out off the fourth ball of the final over.

It was later revealed by his CSK team-mate Harbhajan Singh on social media that Watson required six stitches after he decided to bat on during the final despite injuring himself.

(IPL review: Beyond Dhoni and Tahir, not enough firepower for Chennai Super Kings)

In the third over of CSK’s chase, Watson cut his left leg while diving to make his ground. Images of Watson show a pool of blood under his left knee, staining his yellow CSK pants red.

Harbhajan revealed in an Instagram story that Watson had batted on in pain with a bleeding leg.

Watson hit four sixes and eight fours in his 80, before he was run out. Mumbai Indians beat CSK by one run to claim their record fourth IPL total.