Virender Sehwag: “I don’t know at what price he (Chahal) will go but RCB will definitely use RTM for him”

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Former India opener and Kings XI Punjab director Virender Sehwag believes the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) “will be stupid” not to use their Right to Match (RTM) card on spinner Yuzvendra Chahal in the Indian Premier League (IPL) player auction.

RCB opted to retain Virat Kohli (INR 17 crore), AB de Villiers (INR 11 crore) and Sarfaraz Khan (INR 1.75 crore) for this year’s IPL, but with Chahal being in the auction, Sehwag feels that RCB should use their RTM card on him as he has become one of the best spinners in India as of late.

“I don’t know at what price he (Chahal) will go but RCB will definitely use RTM for him. If they don’t, then they will be stupid,” Sehwag told Sportskeeda.

Meanwhile, the 39-year-old admitted that he wasn’t surprised by RCB’s decision not to retain West Indies big-hitter Chris Gayle.

Sehwag added that he isn’t sure if RCB will target Gayle during the auction as last year, the flamboyant opener scored 200 runs in nine matches, which included a solitary fifty, at an average of 22.22.

“Gayle is now getting old. He is not the same Gayle that he once was,” Sehwag said. “Last year, he played in the IPL and his performance wasn’t at that level that he was once renowned for.

“Teams take into account this factor when they enter the auction. Maybe RCB might go after Gayle again at the auction.”

The IPL player auction will take place on January 27 and 28 in Bangalore.