Former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Virat Kohli has everything in his Indian Premier League (IPL) record books but the pang of being trophy-less is something that has marred his illustrious career. The 33-year-old has spearheaded RCB for eight long years before relinquishing the leadership role after IPL 2022 summed up.
It's not like he never came close to the coveted IPL trophy. Back in 2016, RCB cruised to the final but ended up losing to Sunrisers Hyderabad in the summit clash, however, that season Kohli wreaked havoc with 973 runs which was loaded with four centuries, which is still a record for the most runs and most tons in a single season by an individual. But even the splendor of Kohli couldn't win a trophy for RCB back then.
Meanwhile, former Australia star all-rounder Shane Watson, who also represented RCB in 2016 walked down the memory lane and blamed himself for the title loss. In the summit clash SRH scored 24 runs off the last over of their innings, bowled by Shane Watson, who had a rather off day. The former Australia all-rounder went wicketless giving away 61 off four overs. Almost six years after that night at the Chinnaswamy, Watson recalled the IPL 2016 final and admitted that bowling the last over left him 'shattered'.
For IPL 2022, Watson joined Delhi Capitals franchise as an assistant coach.
"The 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.
Although, Watson finally got a chance to redeem himself two years later. Playing for a new franchise, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in 2018, Watson clobbered the bowling attacks, garnering 555 runs, smashing two centuries, one of which came against nemesis SRH in the final. This time, Watson would bludgeon the SRH attack, and even though he got off to a really slow start – his score reading 0 off 11 balls – Watson made up with a brisk century and scored an unbeaten 117 as CSK chased down 180 with a breeze.
"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."
