'I played around 140 matches for RCB, but I received no proper communication from them.'
Prior to IPL 2022, there was a major surprise when the Royal Challengers Bangalore announced its retention list.
While it was expected that Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell would be retained, the buzz intensified when RCB released star spinner Yuzvendra Chahal.
Chahal expressed his disappointment in a candid interview, admitting that he felt really bad about being let go after an eight-year stint with RCB.
What hurt him the most was the lack of communication from the franchise, as they didn't even give him a phone call to explain their decision.
'I definitely felt very bad. My journey started in 2014, and from the first match, Virat Kohli showed trust in me. But it feels bad that I was playing for the franchise for eight years, and they didn't even tell me anything.
'I saw people speculating that "Yuzi would have asked for a lot of money" and such stuff. That's why I clarified in an interview that I did not ask for anything. I know how much I deserve. The worst thing is I didn't receive a single phone call from RCB, Chahal revealed i an interview with Ranveer Allahbadia.
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Chahal revealed that RCB had promised to go all out for him at the auction, but the franchise didn't even place a single bid for him.
After a bidding war between the Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals, RR signed him for Rs 6.50 crore (Rs 65 million).
'I played around 140 matches for RCB, but I received no proper communication from them. They promised me that they'll go all out for me. I was alright. I got very angry after that. I played for them for eight years. Chinnaswamy Stadium is my favorite,' he added.
Despite his disappointment with RCB's decision, Chahal believes that the move to Rajasthan has benefited his career, making him a better cricketer.
'Whatever happens, happens for good. A good thing that happened to me after joining Rajasthan Royals is that I became a death bowler. I started bowling at the death. At RCB, I would usually bowl in the 16th or 17th over at max.
'At RR, I became a death bowler, and my cricketing growth increased by 5 to 10 percent. That's when I realised that whatever happens, happens for good.
'Players go to new teams after playing for a particular side for 10 years. That's fine. As a professional cricketer, you have to deal with such things. The attachment with RCB is there, but coming to RR has helped my cricket a lot,' he explained.
Chahal, who has established himself as one of India's finest wrist spinners, recalls how Mahendra Singh Dhoni's instructions helped him attack the opposition right from the start.
Chahal said he blindly trusted the legendary cricketer and mostly followed the advice given to him.
'I blindly trusted him. If he used to tell me something, I used to follow it. Ninety-five per cent of the time, I used to follow what he said, and five per cent of the time, I would provide my input.
'When we used to come on to bowl, it was usually after the 10th over, and he knew what was happening on the wicket and how the surface would play,' Chahal said.
'I would get a wicket in that over or the next one. That blind trust is very important. I am also his fan. He made 50 per cent of my life as a bowler easier.
'Otherwise, you come in and send down a couple of overs, trying to gauge the pace of the wicket. He used to tell us in advance, and we would start attacking from the first over. It was like, if Mahi bhai said it, it was said.'
Chahal said Dhoni is the only person who leaves him tongue-tied.
'He is the only person in front of whom I find myself tongue-tied. I don't speak a lot regardless of my mood. I just sit still and respond only if Mahi bhai asks something. Otherwise, I remain quiet.'
