"By doing that, we definitely we not able to get Yuzi" - Mike Hesson on RCB going all guns blazing for Wanindu Hasaranga at the IPL 2022 mega-auction
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) Director of Cricket, Mike Hesson, opened up about the franchise's decision to go all out for Wanindu Hasaranga instead of entering a bidding war for Yuzvendra Chahal. The Indian leg-spinner was an influential player for the franchise over the years and eventually joined the Rajasthan Royals (RR), where he won the Purple Cap in his maiden season.
RCB opted to retain three players after the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, namely Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and Mohammed Siraj. During the mega auction, the franchise bid aggressively for the services of the Sri Lankan spinner after entering the bidding war midway through. They were stretched to the limit by the Punjab Kings (PBKS), who ultimately bowed out of the race.
After spending a whopping ₹10.75 crore on Hasaranga, RCB did not have enough funds to enter the fray to re-sign Yuzvendra Chahal.
Teams buying multiple players at 10 crore or above in the same IPL auction:
RR in 2018 (Ben Stokes, Jaydev Unadkat)
RCB in 2021 (Kyle Jamieson, Glenn Maxwell)
RCB in 2022 (Harshal Patel, Wanindu Hasaranga)
Royal Challengers Bangalore does it in back-to-back seasons.
#IPLAuction
Opining that had RCB not gone all the way in the bidding back-and-forth, they might have ended up without either Hasaranga or Chahal, Mike Hesson said on the latest edition of the RCB Podcast:
"By doing that, we definitely we not able to get Yuzi, but we could have ended up losing both of them. I am aware it was unpopular with many, and Yuzi himself. We had some tough conversations with him at that time and even since. He understands the auction dynamics, but there is emotion involved and that's where in the role I am in, I cannot let emotion drive the decision."
Elaborating further, Hesson admitted that the ₹10.75 crore bid they placed for the Sri Lankan mystery spinner was the last one against the Punjab Kings (PBKS). Hesson continued:
"We thought that along with Harshal Patel and Wanindu Hasaranga, that combination at No.7 and No.8 for us in batting as well as bowling, wicket-taking options is going to be critical for us moving forward, but what's the price we are willing to pay? To be honest, we were on our last bid for Hasaranga."
Hasaranga also went on to have a prolific debut full season with RCB. He initially came in as a replacement player in the 2021 season following his impressive set of outings against India during their white-ball tour. The spinner finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, only behind, as fate would have it, former RCB player Yuzvendra Chahal.
"We spent days, weeks, or rather months thinking out the various permutations" - RCB Director of Cricket Mike Hesson
IPL auctions are often revered as a crucial part in a franchise's fate, with a lot of strategy and tough decisions involved. The 2022 auction was a significant one for RCB as they found their new skipper as well as several key players through it.
RCB released Yuzvendra Chahal and bought Wanindu Hasaranga in the auction. Now both players are in the top-2 in the race for Purple Cap.
Revealing the work and planning that went behind all of the bidding on the auction floor, Hesson said:
"There was a huge amount of work prior to that in terms of the different scenarios that could occur."
Hesson continued:
"We spent days, weeks, or rather months thinking out the various permutations here, and determining the maximum amount of money that we can spend on a particular player and when they come in the auction."
RCB, with their revamped team following the auctions, finished third in the previous season. They were eliminated in the second Qualifier by the Rajasthan Royals (RR), who went on to lose to the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the finals.
Did RCB make the right call at the IPL 2022 mega auction over Yuzvendra Chahal? Let us know what you think.