The leg-spinner embodies the flawed auction priorities of the franchise that eventually ended their dream run.
A once familiar face inflicted the most telling blow to Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s hopes of qualifying to the Qualifier II. Yuzvendra Chahal, who spent eight seasons with RCB and was not retained in the 2022 auction, dismissed an in-form Virat Kohli in a decisive moment of the game.
His non-retention was a shock because he was one of their most consistent bowlers, even as others shifted in and out of the side, their highest wicket-taker by a few leagues, he knew the quirks of the ground, and had emotionally invested in the franchise. He spoke emotionally in a podcast, when RCB refused to retain him: “I felt very bad. My main journey started in 2014. I also felt very weird because I played for the franchise for eight years, I would also say that I got the India cap because of my performances for RCB because they gave me a chance to perform..”
