IPL 2023: RCB Head Coach Mike Hesson opens up on letting go of Yuzvendra Chahal in the IPL 2022 auction

IPL 2023: Yuzvendra Chahal was one of the pillars of the RCB side till IPL 2021. However, Chahal wasn’t picked by the RCB franchise in the IPL 2022 mega auction as they went all out for Sri Lankan leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga.

RCB head coach Mike Hesson was asked about preferring Wanindu Hasaranga over Yuzvendra Chahal in the latest episode of RCB podcast after which Hesson explained the logic behind the franchise’s decision to pick Wanindu Hasaranga.

“By doing that, we definitely we not able to get Yuzi, but we could have ended up losing both of them. I am aware it was unpopular with many, and Yuzi himself. We had some tough conversations with him at that time and even since,” Mike Hesson said on the latest edition of the RCB Podcast:

“We thought that along with Harshal Patel and Wanindu Hasaranga, that combination at No.7 and No.8 for us in batting as well as bowling, wicket-taking options is going to be critical for us moving forward, but what’s the price we are willing to pay? To be honest, we were on our last bid for Hasaranga,” he further added.

IPL 2023: Yuzvendra Chahal’s record in Indian Premier League

Chahal is an IPL stalwart as he’s the most successful leg-spinner currently playing in the cash-rich league. He has played 131 IPL matches and has scalped 166 wickets till now. Being a leg-spinner, his economy rate of 7.61 is top-class. Yuzvendra Chahal joined the RCB camp in 2014 and delivered consistently for 8 IPL seasons. The premier leg-spinner was bought by the Rajasthan Royals after RCB let him go in the IPL 2022 auction.

Chahal eventually won the Purple Cap in his maiden season for the Rajasthan Royals after which there were a few question marks raised on RCB’s auction strategy. Rajasthan royals acquired his services for a relatively low price of INR 6.5 Crores.

On the other hand, Wanindu Hasaranga was bought up by the RCB franchise for a massive price of INR 10.75 crore. The Punjab Kings too were interested in buying the Sri Lankan spinner after which the bidding war stretched a bit too much.

RCB had also bought Harshal Patel for a whopping INR 10.75 crore in the IPL 2022 mega auction after which they never had sufficient funds to try and buy Yuzvendra Chahal.