The menacing glint, animated charm, and canny machinations — savour it all now as curtains come down on the Shane Warne show at the end of this year's IPL.
“Yes this is my last year playing IPL — please come down and support RR last 2 home games v Chennai & Bangalore! We need your help!!!!,” Warne wrote on Twitter confirming his retirement.
“It's 100% my last 4 games of professional cricket unless we make finals — maybe I have 5 or 6 left.”
The spin wizard, whose 52 games for Rajasthan Royals so far have yielded 56 scalps at 24.66, is determined to make his last lap a memorable one.
“We have a spirit in the squad similar to IPL 1 — it would be great to leave on a high — I'm proud of the way we have developed young players,” wrote the talismanic Warne.
The maestro's love for the spotlight has garnered as much attention as his tactical nous on the field.
“I have always tried to be entertaining on the field — cricket to me has never been a job it's been my hobby. Love the game and the people!
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals' chief marketing officer Raghu Iyer said that Warne was likely to “continue his association” with the team.
The legendary twirler, however, maintained that his focus was currently on IPL-IV. “Re next year, who knows what or if I will be involved in IPL re mentor/coaching — am focused on doing best for RR this year — see you at ground.”
