Shane Warne talks exclusively to SUNDAY MiD DAY as he kicks off his new innings

While getting that lap of honour at Sydney in 2007, did you ever envisage another farewell?
Honestly, no. I credit Lalit Modi for luring me out of retirement with the way he put the whole Indian Premier League together. I sat in Australia and heard about the whole thing and it was impossible to look past it. It was so fresh, amazing... the razzmatazz about players, the influx of Bollywood in cricket. It was too cool and Lalit deserves a lot of credit for setting up the foundation of this fantastic tournament. I remember we were sitting and wondering how this whole thing works, with the auctions of players and teams etc. I think 15-20 years later, people will look back at IPL as a revolution in the sport.


Shane Warne with Liz Hurley after the Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai
Indians Indian Premier League game at Wankhede Stadium on Friday.
PIC/SURESH KK

What's one thing that you would like to take back from the IPL?
Obviously it's difficult to go past the 2008 victory. I have no individual memories from the IPL. I cherish the numerous friendships I made - both on, and off the field. When players like Yusuf Pathan and Sohail Tanvir go on to achieve greatness at the international stage, I would be the happiest man. For me, the great part about IPL was helping young cricketers realise their potential.

When I look back at 2008, we played some phenomenal cricket. We were the first team to open the bowling with spin. We had so many innovations that others started to copy from us.