What’s the Story?
RCB opener Chris Gayle has issued an apology for his and the team’s dismal performance in the 2017 IPL. The 37-year-old said that neither he nor the team could be happy with how the Virat Kohli-led side had performed in the competition.
“Apologies to the fans. We all are hurt. It’s amazing how they (fans) still come to stadium and support us. I hope to do better next year.
"I cannot be happy with my performance and with my team performance as well. It’s been disappointing,” the 37-year-old said on Tuesday.
In case you didn’t know...
The Jamaican has had a forgettable year with the bat, having made just 152 runs in 8 matches this season, with a best score of 77 against the Gujarat Lions. In his last match against the Kolkata Knight Riders , incidentally also his 100th game in the IPL, the left-hander was dismissed for a golden duck by Umesh Yadav and eventually the side slumped to their 10th loss of the season.
The heart of the matter
In all his previous years with the franchise, The left-hander has been a crucial part for his side, having played some scintillating innings at the top of the order. However, this season Gayle has just a bit too difficult for anyone’s liking and has on a few occasions found himself out of the team as well.
His and the performance of the other stars have meant that the runners-up from last year have managed to win just two out of the 12 completed matches(one against SRH was washed out) and are guaranteed to finish last on the table.
Earlier in the week, skipper Kohli had also issued a similar apology to his fans via Twitter and credited them for their unconditional support towards the franchise.
Extra Cover: IPL 2017: AB de Villiers returns home after disappointing IPL season
What’s next?
The team is right now on a week-long break from cricket, with their final match scheduled against the Delhi Daredevils at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Sunday. That game is also the last one of the Group stages of IPL 2017.
Author’s take
It is not a surprise to see some of the high-profile names issue apologies for their performances in this IPL. The RCB were one of the fancied teams to win this edition of the IPL after what happened last year, where they stumbled in the final.
But neither Gayle nor the rest of the team could stand up and deliver, leaving their crazy fan base, extremely disappointed.
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