Yuzvendra Chahal is all set to return to the Rajasthan Royals squad for the upcoming IPL 2024 season. The crafty leg-spinner, who previously played a pivotal role for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) over nearly a decade, will reprise his role for the Royals.
Yuzvendra Chahal, despite accumulating an impressive record of 139 IPL wickets in just 113 games during his eight-year stint with RCB, faced release ahead of the IPL 2022 auction. Former RCB Director of Cricket and ex-New Zealand coach, Mike Hesson, outlined the strategy to re-acquire him at the bidding event.
Hesson revealed that the decision to release Yuzvendra Chahal was part of a strategy to retain only three players initially and then buy back both Yuzvendra Chahal and Purple Cap winner Harshal Patel at the auction. The three-player retention strategy left RCB with an additional Rs. 4 crore in their purse for the auction.
However, the plan hit a roadblock when Chahal’s name came up at number 65 in the auction, making it challenging for RCB to secure him. Hesson expressed regret over not going for Chahal earlier, considering his significant contribution to RCB and his outstanding IPL performances.
Despite the missed opportunity, Yuzvendra Chahal has enjoyed success with the Rajasthan Royals in the last two seasons, claiming 48 wickets from 31 games. He is now poised to contribute to the Royals’ campaign in the upcoming IPL 2024 event.
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