[Watch] Ex RCB Coach Mike Hesson Reveals Why He Couldn't Buy Back Yuzvendra Chahal

Why did RCB not retain or rebuy Yuzvendra Chahal had remained one of the mystery questions among IPL fans. Former coach Mike Hesson has now raised the curtains over this topic, explaining why RCB were not able to buy back their all-time top wicket-taker.

With 139 wickets for RCB, Yuzvendra Chahal carved out his career both in the IPL and for India in white-ball cricket. However, the Haryana leg-spinner was unceremoniously, and shockingly, not retained by RCB ahead of the IPL 2022 mega-auction.

It felt that they would rebuy the experienced leggie, but instead they shelled out a huge amount of Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga.

Now, Mike Hesson acknowledged Yuzvendra Chahal as one of the top five all-time RCB players.

“Look Yuzi (Yuzvendra Chahal) was communicated with a huge amount and I know that because I was the guy on the other end of the phone so you know I spoke to Yuzi obviously when we did the initial retention and you know we only retained three players because we felt we wanted to try and buy back both Harshal and Yuzi at the auction. By only retaining three players, it gave us an extra four crores to try and do that and that did not mean that those four crores came off the three retained players,” Mike Hesson told Cricket.com.

Yuzvendra Chahal came in number 65: Mike Hesson

[Watch] Ex RCB Coach Mike Hesson Reveals Why He Couldn't Buy Back Yuzvendra Chahal

Mike Hesson said that he was surprised that Yuzvendra Chahal was not mentioned in the marquee players list and came late in the auction. Explaining the auction dynamics, Hesson reckoned had they waited for Chahal, other franchises would have bullied them into splurging big money than they needed to.

Hesson added, “Probably the thing 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 and the fact that he came in number 65, I think it was on the auction list meant that it was really difficult for us to guarantee we were going to get him.”

Watch the video here: