Yuzvendra Chahal, one of the IPL greats and the leading wicket-taker of the tournament, was sold to Punjab Kings for a whopping sum of INR 18 crore, cementing his position as one of the best leg-spinners in the game. Despite currently being out of the national fold, Chahal’s IPL credentials remain unquestioned, and that is surely something that the Punjab Kings have found immense value in. The new owners managed to outbid other teams like SunRisers Hyderabad, Lucknow Super Giants and Chennai Super Kings during the mega IPL auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Yuzi Chahal is excited to work with Ricky Ponting

In the 2022 auction, Chahal was sold to Rajasthan Royals at a price of INR 6.5 crores, but as he was not picked up before the mega auction, he went into bidding with a base price of INR 2 crores. As soon as Punjab Kings bagged him, the 34-year-old was quick enough to declare that he deserved what he was paid for and can be quoted speaking confidently about his skills. He was also excited to work with Punjab head coach Ricky Ponting for the first time, an opportunity he is looking forward to.

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Chahal’s stellar record in IPL

Chahal is the first IPL bowler to take more than 200 wickets, thus making him the true legend of the league. On the first day of the auction, Punjab Kings further solidified their squad with Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell and Nehal Wadhera, preparing a formidable squad for the upcoming season.

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

“I deserve this”: says Chahal

“I had some clues. A few of my friends told me that I would go to Punjab Kings. But I didn’t think about how much it would cost me. I was thinking ₹12-13 crore. Like you said, I deserve this.

“I’m very excited. There is Ponting sir. I’m going to work with him for the first time, I’m going to try to do my best. I’m very excited. I have a very good relationship with Shreyas Iyer. I will learn a lot from Ricky Ponting, sir. And it’s near my house, it’s Chandigarh and before it was Jaipur,” he added.

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“Definitely, I played in Sawai Mansingh, I also played in Chinnaswamy. The impact player rule is here, so limits matter. Earlier, when you conceded 40 in 4 overs, you felt bad. Now we feel like it’s an integral part of the game.”