Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson recalled the 2016 IPL final between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
SRH won their maiden IPL title by eight runs as David Warner led them to glory. SRH post a par score of 208 runs after opting to bat first.
Shane Watson, who was playing for RCB, had a horrible day at work as he was taken for 61 runs in his quota of four overs. Watson bowled the final over of the innings and he was taken for 24 runs by Ben Cutting, who played a fine cameo of 39 runs from 15 balls.
Watson recalled that bowling one bad over shattered him. In fact, Virat Kohli was in the form of his life in that season as he ended up scoring 973 runs, which is the most for any batter in one season of the IPL.
Kohli and Gayle added 114 runs for the opening alliance in the final but the middle order could get the job for RCB. Watson could only contribute 11 runs with the bat.
“2016 final which I played with RCB was something I was just shattered about. Because I know how much it meant to RCB to win that final. It was at home at Chinnaswamy. RCB had played so well all year, at the backend of that tournament in particular. Virat in particular was on fire. It was his chance, one of the greatest players, to win that elusive IPL title as captain. And bowling that one over just shattered me. It just got it wrong and I felt like the end of time,” Watson said on the Delhi Capitals podcast.
On the other hand, Watson was able to turn the tables in the 2018 final against the same opposition Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, this time the Australian was representing Chennai Super Kings. The veteran scored a magnum opus knock of 117 runs off just 57 balls to help his team chase down the target of 179.
“I was thinking ‘What are you doing? What’s going on?’ You’re ruining it for the team. So those voices were getting quite louder. I got off to a very slow start which means I put pressure of Faf as well. He took a risk he didn’t need to,” Watson said about his slow start. “But that was one of the days you just dream of. Deep down inside me, that 2018 final was something whose demons I had to exercise and that’s why I was so determined to just direct all my energy into every single ball. A few little things fell my way. I was nearly 37. To be able to have a season like that and have a game like that in the final is something you always dream of.”
Watson is currently playing the role of a mentor at Delhi Capitals in ongoing IPL 2022.
