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Cricket Players'A leader who turned underdogs into champions': Rajasthan Royals pay heartfelt tribute to 'first Royal' Shane Warne
Shane Warne led the Rajasthan Royals to IPL title in the first edition of the tournament and the franchise paid an emotional tribute to the Aussie legend, who passed away on Friday.
Australia's spin wizard Shane Warne tragically passed away on Friday from a suspected heart attack. Warne, 52, is widely regarded as one of the greatest spinners of all time and had 709 Test wickets to his name, ending his spell-binding international career in 2007 with a remarkable 708 Test wickets. Credited for reviving the art of leg-spin, Warne made his Test debut in 1992 against India, and by the time he ended his 15-year international career, the spinner had established himself as one of the all-time greats of the game.
Following his retirement, Warne was one of the prominent faces in T20 leagues, starting with the Indian Premier League in 2008. In the inaugural edition of the tournament, Warne famously led the Rajasthan Royals side to IPL title as his side defeated tournament favourites Chennai Super Kings, led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
After the tragic news of Warne's death, the Royals shared a heartfelt note to pay tribute to the ‘King of Spin’.
Shane Warne. The name stands for magic. Our first Royal; a man who made us believe that impossible is just a myth. A leader who walked the walk, talked the talk, and turned underdogs into champions. A mentor who turned everything he touched into gold," the note from the Royals began.
"We don't have the words to express what we truly feel at the moment, but what we know is that the world is poorer today, as it will now exist without his smile, his brilliance, and his attitude to live life to its fullest. We're completely heartbroken, as are millions of cricket fans all around the world.
“Warnie, you're forever going to be our captain, leader, Royal. Rest in peace, legend.”
Warne's death came merely hours after another former Australian cricket great, wicket-keeper Rod Marsh died on Friday at the age of 74. Warne's last post on Twitter, 12 hours before his death was reported, was a tribute to Marsh.
