Yuzvendra Chahal says RCB release proved beneficial after move to Rajasthan Royals
Chahal called his RCB exit beneficial and confirmed retirement from red-ball cricket to focus on white-ball cricket.
Yuzvendra Chahal spent eight seasons at RCB before the franchise let him go ahead of the 2022 auction. He joined Rajasthan Royals, where his numbers improved, and now leads the IPL's all-time wicket list with 233 scalps from 188 games for Punjab Kings.
Speaking to Aakash Chopra, Chahal said he was angry at first. Then he accepted it was out of his hands. RCB had given him the platform that led to his India debut, and he still credits the franchise for that. At 36, he also retired from first-class cricket to focus on white-ball cricket after his last County stint.
Between 2017 and 2019 he came close to a Test cap, but Jadeja, Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav were already ahead of him. He finished with 148 wickets in 49 first-class matches.
CricHubb Take
Chahal's release forced him into a clearer role at RR, but the bigger question is whether RCB's habit of letting proven white-ball spinners walk has cost them titles since.