Mike Hesson disclosed the franchise’s desire to reacquire seasoned leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal at the IPL 2022 auction but cited constraints preventing his retention.
Mike Hesson, the former director of cricket for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), disclosed the franchise’s desire to reacquire Yuzvendra Chahal, a seasoned leg-spinner, at the IPL 2022 auction. However, due to certain circumstances, RCB couldn’t retain him, leading to Chahal’s disappointment.
Chahal, who had delivered stellar performances for RCB, was unexpectedly not retained before the auction, and subsequently, he was bought by Rajasthan Royals (RR).
Reflecting on the aftermath, Hesson recounted a conversation where he struggled to clarify the auction dynamics to Chahal, who appeared disinterested, understandably frustrated as a loyal “RCBian.”
“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 to Cricket.com.
“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 on 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,” he added.
Hesson also disclosed the franchise’s keen interest in acquiring the talented Tilak Varma during the IPL 2022 auction. However, Tilak was eventually purchased by Mumbai Indians for ₹1.7 crore. Reflecting on the outcome, Hesson admitted that RCB could have pursued Varma more vigorously.
“I think he is one that I wish that we pushed a little bit harder for. All good in hindsight but he’s proven that he is a high-quality player. Being a left-hander would always be helpful for that RCB top-order,” Hesson commented.
“It would have been nice to have another left-hander in the top-order. There was a lot of talk that he was susceptible to the short ball domestically. But certainly since he’s come to the IPL, he’s made every post a winner,” he concluded.
Last Updated on February 20, 2024
Senior Sports Copywriter
