"Moye moye" - Yuzvendra Chahal trolls RCB's new-look bowling attack during an online gaming session
Yuzvendra Chahal's departure from Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) still seems unfathomable to some, and there is reportedly bad blood between the two parties as well. RCB did not retain Chahal after the 2021 season, and the leg-spinner went on to win the Purple Cap in his maiden season with Rajasthan in 2022.
However, Chahal's international career has come to a steady decline since his departure from RCB. The three-time finalists have also not fared well in recent times, and had an IPL mini-auction to forget last month.
RCB were tasked with rebuilding their entire bowling lineup after releasing the trio of Harshal Patel, Wanindu Hasaranga and Josh Hazlewood. To make matters even tougher, they were on a tight budget after roping in Cameron Green from the Mumbai Indians (MI) in an off-season trade move.
RCB shelled out ₹11.50 crore for Alzarri Joseph and had to settle for Lockie Ferguson at his base price in the final stages of the auction. In their spin attack, RCB only have Karn Sharma and Mayank Dagar as credible options. They roped in the latter through a trade deal with the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the expense of Shahbaz Ahmed.
Chahal has made several appearances on streams with fellow gamers while playing the popular online game Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI). During a recent gaming stream, the bowler was asked by his teammate about the new-look RCB bowling attack post the auction.
The bowler had a short but savage response to the question, merely saying 'Moye moye.' The term, originating from a Serbian song, has been used extensively in online memes of late, and it suggests that something is in a sad state.
Chahal has taken 48 wickets in the last two IPL seasons
Former RCB coaches Mike Hesson and Sanjay Bangar defended the strategy behind the release of Yuzvendra Chahal after the 2021 season, but the numbers do not support their claims.
Chahal's replacement, Wanindu Hasaranga, had a prolific 2022 season but struggled in 2023 coming off an injury and failed to adjust to the conditions at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Chahal was one of the few spinners who had mastered the art of bowling at the infamously batting-friendly venue.
Chahal has been retained by the Rajasthan Royals after two seasons where he picked up 48 wickets, and will be seen in the 2024 edition of the IPL too. He recently had a prolific Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign for Haryana, who went on to lift the title.