jaipur, April 21: Should he have retired? They ask that about players in teary testimonials, but you never quite know the answers to these questions that resemble idle ruminations. But now, you do. Shane Warne shouldn’t have retired.

The Royal blonde set up a six-wicket win for the IPL under-dogs Rajasthan against Kings XI Punjab at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium — the winning 168 coming with 11 balls to spare. But well before Shane Watson (76) and Ravindra Jadeja (36) finished with a flourish, it was Warne’s lion-hearted presence on the field that gave the hosts scope for hope.

If a seriously average group of cricketers needed a sprinkling of genius to make them believers, Rajasthan got a blob-ful of inspiration when they bowled, in the form of Warne, their much-retired international.

Bowling figures of 3-19 — that’s a desperately stingy T20 economy rate of 5 — was the numerical simplification of the leggie-legend’s brilliance. His three wickets delighted a full-house — estimated at 39,500 — who happily settled for the bowler’s wizardry though promised the ritual lusty hits from the batsmen. Admiring leg-spin takes getting used to, but trust the 38-year-old, one of the oldest-battlers in the IPL, to weave magic within a spell lasting a mere four overs.

Still-fluid wrist

SANGAKKARA’S return catch — Warne’s first wicket of the tournament — spoke of the eons of years on the bowler’s steady hands, besides a still-fluid wrist that landed the ball just that right distance outside the off-stump.

A top-spinner that straightened next cut Hopes’s stay on the last ball of Warne’s second over.

And finally, Yuvraj Singh, dropped twice in his 34-ball 57, fell cluelessly to flight, drawn into sweeping just two balls after Pathan had smacked Warne beyond the ropes for the only time in his four overs. It was the first hit off him on his 21st ball.

Charmed lives can’t add up to a third of the team’s total, but Yuvraj Singh rode his luck during his 34-ball 57. The first caught-behind appeal against him, when on 6, was dismissed as wide, then Lehmann dropped a sitter with the left-hander on 15.

And finally, India team mate Mohammad Kaif’s over-anticipation and silly fumbling got Yuvraj off the hook on 27. It took a Warne to swat away the threatening challenge of Yuvraj’s bat.

Warne’s leadership-merits lay not only in rallying his men, but also in dispersing them back to their positions quickly after every Punjab wicket fell.

Protracted celebrations were strictly prohibited. And as is integral to every spinner’s success, it helped that Kamran Akmal chirped merrily behind the wicket. A chartered flight brought the Pakistani stumper to Jaipur sooner than was expected, as the $40,000-acquisition perked things up for the Royals.

The other Shane

WHEN they batted, the other Shane — Man of the Match Watson — hit some big sixes, five as many as his bondaries. And all travelled into the second and third tier of the stands.

Such was the impact of the ball thudding against the bat, that his bat cracked into half and travelled twenty yards into the covers. Last seen, it was resting on Lalit Modi’s lap, on its way perhaps to a Royals’ souvenir-shop or a million-dollar auction. Or in the rarest cases, into his personal collection.

Irfan Pathan will not take back happy memories from Jaipur, his ill-luck leading him to drop brother Yusuf, though it didn’t cost his team much.

But with someone like Warne in the opposition ranks, you are left with fewer options than cursing your luck.