Watson joins illustrious company with ton

Shane Watson's career resurgence has continued with the allrounder becoming just the second Australian to score an international T20 century, a brilliant 124 not out from just 71 balls against India at the SCG.

Just weeks after conceding he no longer worried about international selection, Watson hit 10 fours and six sixes in a destructive performance to register his third century in all T20 cricket. 

WATCH: Watson smashes six sixes against India

Captaining the side in the absence of Aaron Finch (injured) as well as Steve Smith and David Warner (in New Zealand), Watson was at the crease for all 20 overs of Australia's innings as he posted the second-highest individual score in the short history of T20 internationals.

He joins Finch as the only other Australian to score a century in T20 international cricket, the Victorian having hammered a world record 156 against England in 2013. It means Australians now hold the record for the two highest individual scores in T20 internationals.

Watson also becomes just the 10th man in history to score a century in all three forms of international cricket, joining Brendon McCullum, Faf du Plessis, Chris Gayle, Ahmed Shehzad, Rohit Sharma, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Martin Guptill, Suresh Raina and Mahela Jayawardena.

Quick Single: Watson powers Australia to big score

Watson retired from first-class and Test cricket last September but remains available for white-ball cricket, however he was overlooked for the Victoria Bitter ODI series earlier this month.

The 34-year-old admitted at the time that he was now free of the worry surrounding national selection, indicating he believed his international career may be over.

"Getting dropped from both formats, Test cricket and one-day cricket, makes that worry go away," he said earlier this month. 

WATCH: Watson takes 10 runs from one ball

"I am available, but the worry disappeared after I got dropped from the one-day squad."

But a strong finish to the Sydney Thunder's triumphant KFC Big Bash League campaign earned him a place in the T20 squad and he now looms as a key figure in Australia's side for the World T20 in India in March and April.

Watson has enjoyed a long career with the Rajasthan Royals on the Indian Premier League and that experience playing 20-over cricket in India will be valuable as Australia look to win the World T20 for the first time.

With Rajasthan suspended from the next two IPL seasons, Watson is sure to demand big money at the IPL auction on February 16.

Speaking last Friday, Watson admitted he would have previously been stewing over the thoughts of Rod Marsh's panel in the lead-up to the World T20, but took a more philosophical approach to selection these days.

"I'm over worrying about whether I'm going to get picked for the Australian team or not," he said.

Quick Single: Watson no longer worried about axe

"There's no doubt I was putting more pressure on myself to perform ... at times, you freeze a little bit out there because you're too worried about failing – instead of just worrying about getting out there and taking the game on, which is how I've been since I stopped worrying about any selection."

Watson, who batted down the order in the opening two matches of the series, picked up two crucial wickets in the opening match in Adelaide and bowled economically again in game two in Melbourne.

It follows an impressive finish the BBL|05; he posted scores of 46, 18, 62, 66, 7 and 6 after the New Year's break, while he also grabbed two wickets in the Thunder's wins in the semi-final and final.