Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson, who played for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for a couple of seasons, has expressed regret for his poor performance in the 2016 IPL final. In a speech at Presidency University in Bengaluru, Watson acknowledged his shortcomings and apologized to the passionate RCB fanbase.
I cost RCB winning IPL: Shane Watson
“To all the RCB fans here tonight, I need to profusely apologize,” Watson said. He admitted to being well-prepared but failing to deliver on the big night. Specifically, he took responsibility for his bowling performance in the final, which he called “one of the worst” he’s had in the IPL.
Watson conceded a hefty 61 runs in his four overs, including a costly 24 runs in the final over, allowing the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to post a challenging total of 208 runs.
“To all the RCB fans here tonight, I need to profusely apologize. The reason why I need to profusely apologize to RCB fans is because 2016 IPL final at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. I was prepared as well as I could. I was hoping to perform my very very best, but I had one of the worst performances when it comes to the bowling perspective in the final. And I most probably cost RCB winning that TATA IPL.”
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Heartbreak for RCB!
This defeat marked the third time RCB had reached the IPL final, but they fell short once more. While RCB started their chase on a remarkable note, the middle order, including Watson himself, faltered. They ultimately lost by a narrow margin of 8 runs. This underwhelming performance, coupled with a previous poor season, led to Watson being released by RCB for a hefty sum of ₹9.5 crore.
Nevertheless, Watson remains one of the most undisputed all-rounders in IPL history. The mighty lad hammered 3874 runs and took 92 wickets in the 145 matches he played in the cash-rich league.
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