Warne revels in Royals glory

Shane Warne helped the Royals over the finishing line in the IPL final in Mumbai

Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne described his side’s last-ball victory in the inaugural Indian Premier League final as the culmination of a “fantastic journey”.

The legendary Australian leg-spinner was at the non-striker’s end when Sohail Tanvir hit the runs that sealed a memorable victory over Chennai Super Kings by three wickets.

Warne has taken on a mentor’s role with the youthful Jaipur-based franchise, who were largely overlooked as a contender in the lead-up to the tournament.

At US$67million, the Royals were the cheapest side in the tournament and were disregarded as a threat after failing to sign an icon player, while foreign purchases Justin Langer and Morne Morkel opted not to join the team and instead play county cricket.

Indeed, the foreign players who did make the trek to Jaipur had voiced concerns about their safety following a bomb blast in the city last month.

But after putting their faith in youth, and Warne’s guiding hand as player-coach, the team topped the table after the protracted 56-match round-robin series before finally lifting the trophy in Mumbai on Sunday.

“It has been a fantastic journey for us. Over the seven weeks I think the whole squad had a wonderful time,” Warne said in the aftermath of their triumph in Mumbai.

“The team gelled together very quickly and the results have shown that. It has been one hell of a ride and one that everyone has enjoyed.

“I have been proud to see the young guys learning the game of cricket and executing their skills so well.”

Pakistan paceman Tanvir was one of the Royal players to blossom under the IPL spotlight - he took 22 wickets during the tournament to claim the ‘Purple Cap’ as the competition’s leading wicket-taker.

But it was his batting that proved crucial in the final reckoning as he and Warne combined to score the 18 runs required from the final two overs to reach Chennai’s target of 163 for five off the last ball.

“I was hoping that Tanvir was going to be on strike for the final ball and thankfully he was,” Warne said.

“Getting down to the final ball in the final, I don’t think a script writer could have written it any better than that.

“As soon as I saw Tanvir hit it I thought I was about to rip both hamstrings off I was running that hard.

“I am getting a bit older now so I don’t know if I can handle these close finishes any more.”

Enthused by his team’s triumph, Warne also praised the spirit of his team-mates. They were without the experience of South Africa captain Graeme Smith, who missed the match with a hamstring injury which may force him to miss the Proteas’ first Test against England at Lord’s next month.

“I don’t think I have experienced the spirit we’ve had in this team in any other during my 20 years in cricket,” Warne said.

He also took time out to thank the Indian public for their support during the two-month tournament.

“The crowds all over India have been amazing. They make the guys want to play excellent cricket,” he said.

“I just think there has been a wonderful feel about the tournament from the crowds, press and players.”