Royal Challengers Bangalore retained Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and Mohammed Siraj.
On Sunday, the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will face the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2022) season opener. The team had made the playoffs in the previous tournament and had undergone significant adjustments ahead of the new season, including a change in captaincy.
Faf du Plessis, the side's INR 7 crore acquisition during the IPL 2022 auction, will captain RCB, after Virat Kohli stepped down from the job during the previous season.
The franchise had retained Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, and Mohammed Siraj ahead of the new season, and while they welcomed back a few players, including Harshal Patel, in the mega auction; they passed on leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal.
Chahal had previously represented the franchise for eight years, but will now play for the Rajasthan Royals in the 2022 edition.
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Virender Sehwag was dissatisfied with RCB's choice to release Chahal ahead of the IPL 2022 auction, claiming that the team will miss the spinner's skills this season.
“Their biggest loss has been Yuzvendra Chahal. He was their best player on small pitches like Bengaluru or in Dubai. He used to take the most wickets on those grounds. He was the most economical bowler on those grounds. If I was part of RCB, I wouldn't have thought about letting go Chahal, for any price,” Sehwag said on Cricbuzz.
“I can understand the retention policy and all. Chahal was their key bowler. I can understand Siraj being retained, he is now part of the Indian team, he is getting that experience but when the entire responsibility falls on one person's shoulders, it becomes difficult.”
Chahal appeared in 114 matches for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, taking 139 wickets.