IPL 2022 | RCB didn’t ask me whether I wanted to be retained, reveals Yuzvendra Chahal

India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal recently opened up about parting ways with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in an interview with Times of India ahead of the ongoing 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The 31-year-old revealed that he did not receive any retention offer from the franchise ahead of the 2022 mega auction, that took place last month in Bengaluru.

In his conversation with TOI, Chahal further disclosed that Mike Hesson, RCB's director of cricket, had called him before the auction to notify him that they were planning on retaining three players Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and Mohammed Siraj. He claimed there were no monetary discussions happened between him and the franchise.

Chahal, who represented the RCB for eight years in IPL, then revealed that Hesson had assured him that RCB would aim to re-sign him at the 2022 auction.

“I am emotionally attached to RCB. I never thought I would play for some other team. People and fans on social media are still asking me ‘why did you ask for this much money?’. The reality is that Mike Hesson (RCB Director of Cricket) called me and said ‘Listen Yuzi, there are three retentions’ (Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and Mohammed Siraj).

“They didn’t ask me whether I wanted to be retained or tell me if they wanted to retain me. They just talked about the three retentions and I was told that – ‘we will go for you in the auction’. Neither was I asked about money nor did I get any offer of retention. But I will always be loyal to my Bangalore fans. I love them so much, no matter what,” Chahal told TOI.

Chahal, the crafty leg-spinner, was picked up by the Rajasthan Royals (RR) for INR 6.50 crore at the 2022 auction. Surprisingly, RCB did not place a single bid for him at the event. He will don the new jersey for the first time in IPL 2022 when RR take on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Tuesday (March 29) in Match 5 of IPL 2022 at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune.