"The name stands for magic" - Rajasthan Royals pen emotional tribute to Shane Warne

Rajasthan Royals (RR) paid an emotional tribute to their first captain Shane Warne, who succumbed to a suspected heart attack on Friday (March 4). Warne passed away at the age of 52 in his villa in Thailand.

Warne, whose untimely demise sent shockwaves across the cricketing world, led a Rajasthan Royals team considered least likely to go all the way in the inaugural edition of IPL, to the title. He continued to remain associated with the Royals in various capacities over the years even after his IPL retirement in 2011.

Taking to their official Twitter handle, Rajasthan Royals released a statement expressing their grief, while also dubbing their former captain as a synonym for magic.

"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 statement further added:

"We don't have 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."

The statement ended with the Royals calling Warne their 'captain, leader, Royal' forever.

"Warnie, you're forever going to be our captain, leader, Royal. Rest in peace, legend. (heart emoji)."

Shane Warne led Rajasthan Royals to IPL glory in 2008

Shane Warne happened to be the first player picked up at the IPL Player Auction back in 2008, with Rajasthan Royals signing him up for a sum of $450,000.

The Royals appointed Warne as their captain-cum-coach, in what was an unprecedented move. The decision paid rich dividends though as Warne led a young and raw team, considered the underdogs, to a fairytale title win.

The Aussie legend represented the Jaipur-based team in 55 games, picking up 57 wickets, at an economy rate of 7.27. He was their captain for the first four seasons before announcing his retirement from the league.

Warne returned to the Royals setup in the role of a mentor in 2018 and was actively seen in the team's dugout. He is best known for backing youngsters such as Swapnil Asnodkar, Kamran Khan, and Ravindra Jadeja. The latter was given the epithet of 'Rockstar' by him.