Yuzvendra Chahal said he “deserved” the award given to him by the Punjab Kings during the first day of the IPL 2025 mega auction. Punjab Kings spent ₹18 crore to buy the 34-year-old leg-spinner. Punjab Kings outbid SunRisers Hyderabad, Lucknow Super Giants and Chennai Super Kings to sign Chahal.

Speaking to JioCinema, Chahal said, “I was very nervous. I was anxious because whatever I got in the last three years, I got it in one year. But I think I deserve this .I’m very excited.”

He added “I got some hints. A few of my friends told me that I would go to Punjab Kings. But I didn’t think about how much alone I would be. I was thinking ₹12-13 crore .Like you said, I deserve this,”

Yuzvendra Chahal’s IPL journey

Chahal holds the record for most wickets in IPL history, with 205 wickets in 160 matches. Chahal, in IPL 2024, became the first bowler to reach 200 IPL wickets. In total, in 160 matches, Chahal picked up 205 wickets at an economy rate of 7.84 with six four-wicket hauls and one five-wicket haul to show for his efforts.

He remains the leading wicket-taker for Royal Challengers Bangalore, although he left the team in 2021 after a seven-year stay. In 113 IPL matches for RCB, Chahal picked up 139 wickets, but despite this, he was not retained by the Bengaluru-based franchise.

Since joining Rajasthan Royals in 2022, Chahal, through his consistent performances, has helped the team qualify for the playoffs in two out of three seasons. His outstanding performance in 2022 earned him the Purple Cap, as he took 27 wickets in 17 matches.