“Yuzvendra Chahal was upset, I don’t blame him”: Mike Hesson tells the reason of RCB not bringing the leg spinner at IPL 2022 auction.
In a recent revelation, Mike Hesson, the former director of cricket for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), disclosed the franchise’s interest in reacquiring the services of seasoned leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. However, their plans were thwarted during the IPL 2022 mega auction due to Chahal’s placement in an unfavorable position. Hesson acknowledged Chahal’s disappointment upon learning about the situation but emphasized the bowler’s understanding of the circumstances.RCB’s decision not to retain Chahal ahead of the IPL 2022 auction came as a surprise to many, considering his consistent and commendable performances for the team. Despite their intentions, Chahal found himself representing Rajasthan Royals (RR) after being purchased by them at the auction.In an interview with Cricket.com, Hesson shed light on Chahal’s reaction following his omission from RCB’s roster for the upcoming season.
Hesson said “I remember ringing Yuzi afterwards 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.”
He highlighted the unexpected absence of Chahal from the marquee players’ list and his placement in ‘Set Six,’ which ultimately constrained RCB’s financial flexibility to bid for him.
“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 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,” added former RCB director.