Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson was met with chants of "RCB, RCB" during a visit to Presidency College in Bengaluru. Watson, who played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), attended a college event where he interacted with fans. During his visit, Watson apologized to RCB fans for his performance in the 2016 IPL final, where RCB fell short against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Shane Watson receives 'RCB, RCB' chants:
"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," Watson said.
Shane Watson apologizes to RCB fans:
The Australian cricketer played for RCB in 2016 and 2017 after a stint with Rajasthan Royals (RR) from 2008 to 2015. RCB had a strong run in the second half of the IPL 2016, reaching the playoffs and ultimately the final. However, their bowlers faltered in the summit clash, allowing SRH to post a formidable 208/7 in their 20 overs. Watson was one of the players who struggled, conceding 61 runs in his four overs without taking a wicket. He also managed just 11 runs off 9 balls with the bat, as RCB fell short by eight runs.
Despite his struggles in the final, Watson had a successful 2016 IPL season overall, taking 20 wickets at an average under 25 in 16 games. The all-rounder has been part of two IPL championship-winning teams – Rajasthan Royals in 2008 and Chennai Super Kings in 2018.
RCB eyes first IPL title:
RCB will look to capture their first IPL title in the upcoming playoffs. They enter the playoffs in strong form, winning their last few games to finish fourth in the league stage. After a slow start, RCB staged a remarkable comeback to qualify for the knockout stages. The franchise has reached the final three times before (2009, 2011, 2016) but has yet to win the championship. Their road to the title will be challenging, requiring them to win three consecutive games in the Eliminator, Qualifier 2, and the final. Their first playoff match is against RR in the Eliminator on Wednesday, May 22, in Ahmedabad.