The former director of cricket for Royal Challengers Bangalore Mike Hesson has disclosed that the franchise had the intention of repurchasing experienced leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal during the IPL 2022 mega auction. However, due to the specific circumstances surrounding the auction, they were unable to secure Chahal’s services.
Hesson acknowledged that Chahal was disappointed when informed about the situation but noted that the leg-spinner understood the constraints that led to the decision.
In a surprising decision, RCB opted not to retain Yuzvendra Chahal before the IPL 2022 auction, despite his impressive performances for the franchise. After that Chahal was acquired by the Rajasthan Royals (RR) during the 2022 mega auction.
In an interview with cricket.com, Hesson talked about Chahal and his frustration when RCB was unable to get him back in the team.
“I remember ringing Yuzi afterward and he was upset. It was very difficult to try and explain to him the auction dynamics at that time. He was visibly disinterested, and I don’t blame him. He was an RCBian and he was frustrated. But I can assure everyone that he is well aware of the issues we were confronted with,” Hesson said.
Mike Hesson on Chahal exit from RCB : "We had a clear communication with Chahal – we spent hours in Mock Auction to get Chahal – but things didn't work – I remember I called Chahal after the auction trying to explain but obviously he was upset and not interested." (Cricket com) pic.twitter.com/kNnP1nARIf
— Cric Point (@RealCricPoint) February 19, 2024
Hesson clarified that Yuzvendra Chahal was unexpectedly not included in the marquee players’ list and was placed in ‘Set Six.’ After that in the auction, the franchise found themselves short of funds to get Chahal back in the squad.
“We only retained three players because we wanted to buy back both Harshal Patel and Yuzi at the auction. By only retaining three players, it gave us an extra four crore to do that. Probably the thing that I’m frustrated about even now is the fact that he couldn’t make the top two marquee lists despite being one of the best ever in the IPL. That was ridiculous,” the Kiwi explained.
Hesson further added, “The fact that he came in at No.65 in the auction list (sic) meant that it was really difficult for us to guarantee that we will get him. But yes, we spent hours and hours at the mock auction debating how we could potentially buy Yuzi.”
WHY DIDN'T RCB RETAIN YUZVENDRA CHAHAL? 🤔 [1/2]
— Cricket.com (@weRcricket) February 19, 2024
Mike Hesson clarifies 🤝🏻
Watch the entire episode of UNWIND with https://t.co/voAKFXTRXY on our YouTube channel ➡️ https://t.co/KclgdisEFQ#IPL2024 @CoachHesson @HegdeEveryday pic.twitter.com/OnBnk9uFdA
