"I wasn't shocked but was disappointed" - Chetan Sakariya on being released by Delhi Capitals ahead of IPL 2024 auction
Chetan Sakariya was a part of the Delhi Capitals (DC) side in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The Saurashtra pacer got to play just a couple of games, where he picked up three wickets but was expensive at an economy rate of 11.13.
The left-arm pacer was pretty honest about his performance and felt that it was right on DC's part to release him ahead of the IPL 2024 auction. He realized he was right at the end of the pecking order among pacers with other Indian options like Khaleel Ahmed and Mukesh Kumar available at DC's disposal.
Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, here's what Chetan Sakariya had to say:
"I wasn't shocked but I was a bit disappointed. But from the team's perspective, they made the right decision. I wasn't able to perform to the level that was expected from me. Maybe I didn't do justice to my price tag. They already have several Indian options in Ishant (Sharma) Bhai, Khaleel Ahmed and Mukesh Bhai. After I didn't hit the ground running, I naturally went back in the pecking order."
Sakariya has been picked by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL 2024 auction for a base price of ₹50 lakh and will share the dressing room with Australian speedster Mitchell Starc.
The youngster spoke about how he always tries to learn from international bowlers, recalling his experience with Mustafizur Rahman from when he was at DC.
"I used to speak a lot with Mustafizur Bhai and he used to guide me a lot about how to plan each delivery and how to make full use of the field placements. It just mesmerized me as to just how much a bowler can think about adjusting the field and helped me in my game. I hope I get to learn a lot from Mitchell Starc tol and add a lot more to my armoury."
Chetan Sakariya on getting picked by KKR
Chetan Sakariya is delighted to get picked by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the auction as he believes there is a chance he will get enough game time. The left-arm pacer explained the importance of playing as much as possible and how he had that as a priority over the price tag.
On this, he stated:
"When the auction was going on, I just had one wish in my mind that I would want to get picked where I would get maximum opportunities to play. Of course I will have to perform well that's always a given. I just wanted gametime felt there were only two teams who were looking to fill their slots in the bowling department and KKR was one of them. The money didn't matter, I just wanted to go to a team where I would get gametime."
Chetan Sakariya has been recovering from a stress fracture in the back that he sustained about six months ago and is almost back to full fitness.