Former team director explains why RCB couldn't retain Yuzvendra Chahal

While Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, and AB de Villiers are often synonymous with Royal Challengers Bangalore, Yuzvendra Chahal was another key contributor whose impact might not be as widely recognized. The talented leg-spinner consistently delivered match-winning performances for RCB, making his release ahead of the 2022 mega auction is a surprising decision. While the franchise opted to retain Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, and Mohammed Siraj, Chahal's absence left a significant void.

Yuzvendra Chahal publicly addressed his release from RCB in interviews, mentioning that he wasn't personally contacted by the franchise about the decision. This lack of communication reportedly contributed to his surprise and disappointment.

In a recent discussion with Cricket.com, former RCB Director Mike Hesson clarified the communication regarding Yuzvendra Chahal's release. He acknowledged contacting Chahal about the decision beforehand, though Chahal understandably remained disappointed. Hesson expressed empathy for Chahal's perspective and admitted the difficulty of explaining complex auction dynamics during such circumstances.

Yuzi was communicated with a huge amount. "I know that because I was the guy at the other end of the phone. I remember ringing Yuzi afterwards and he was upset. It was very difficult to try and explain the auction dynamics to him 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.

'The fact that he couldn't make the top two marquee lists was ridiculous...'

Hesson also confirmed the team intended to repurchase Chahal at the auction, but his late inclusion hampered their efforts. Hesson further expressed disappointment that Chahal wasn't included among the marquee players, suggesting it hindered their ability to secure him.

"I spoke to Yuzi obviously when we did the initial retention and we only retained three players because we felt we wanted to try and buy back both Harshal Patel and Yuzi at the auction. Probably the thing that I'm really frustrated about even now is as you said Yuzi is probably one of the top-five players of all time for RCB but he was also one of the best ever in the IPL and the fact that he couldn't make the top two marquee lists at that time was ridiculous, the fact that he came in as number 65 on the auction list means that it was really difficult for us to guarantee we were going to get him," Hesson stated.