Former Australian and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) all-rounder Shane Watson has apologized to the decorated franchise's fans for his disappointing show in the 2016 IPL final. The Queenslander admitted that he was prepared as well as he could, but failed terribly in his execution that night, resulting in RCB's defeat to the SunRisers Hyderabad.
It was the 3rd occasion in IPL history that the Royal Challengers made it to the IPL final. Watson leaked a staggering 61 in his 4 overs, including 24 off the 20th as the SunRisers amassed 208 in 20 overs. Although RCB made a sensational start, the middle-order batters, including Watson, failed to contribute and they eventually lost by 8 runs.
During a speech at the Presidency University in Bengaluru, Watson
"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."
Shane Watson was released by RCB after IPL 2017:
Watson, who fetched ₹9.5 crore from the franchise, was let go after two poor seasons with the bat. The former Aussie great joined the Chennai Super Kings and played an integral role in their 3rd title win in 2018.
He played for two more seasons and retired from IPL.
