Virat trying to save Yuvi’s Rs 14 cr RCB contract; Mallya to take final call
Virat Kohli is, sure, a good boyfriend and now we learn he can be a good friend too. The hottest India cricketer, currently captaining India Down Under, is strongly pitching for his pal Yuvraj, throwing the Royal Challengers Bangalore team management into a quandary.
The Vijay Mallya Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise team was seriously contemplating releasing Yuvraj, bought for Rs 14 crore last year, to this year’s auction but they have met with unexpected resistance from Kholi, the skipper of the Bangalore team.
Kohli is believed to have argued that the India discard is still a matchwinner forcing the RCB management to rethink its strategy. The decision-making core cricket committee of the RCB, comprising former India player Brijesh Patel and former Karnataka South Zone batsman Avinash Vaidya, has left the decision to Mallya. “The boss (Mallya) will take a decision,” a top RCB official told Mirror.
Disclosed a top India player and Yurvaj’s former India teammate, “Yuvi has told us that he will have to face the auction this year but later he has come to know that Virat is fighting to retain him.” Yuvraj himself did not reply to a question from this paper but his agent confirmed that the Punjab batsman is aware of Virat’s backing. “We know of Virat’s insistence otherwise he would have been released by now,” the agent said. The franchises have time up to Monday to inform the IPL about the players they intend to retain and release.
The RCB’s original strategy was to not discard Yuvraj completely. They had planned to release him and buy him back for a lesser price as not many teams would have had enough money to outbid them. In the process, they would have some money to buy other players as well.
But their plans got offset once they realised the impending threat from the Delhi franchise, which is believed to be contemplating releasing big players, namely Kevin Pietersen (Rs 9 cr)r, Murali Vijay (Rs 5 cr) and Mayank Agarwal (Rs 1.6 cr). Delhi had finished at the bottom of the IPL 7and it is being said they would liquidate the white elephants, which would mean the Daredevils would also have enough money to compete and even outbid RCB for Yuvraj.
In the IPL circle, the talking point is Yuvraj and Kohli’s backing for him. “It will be a big decision for Mr Mallya, whether to go with the captain or pragmatism,” said the CEO of a top franchise.
All eyes are now on Mallya and whether he will be dictated by the sentiments of his captain or by the economics of the IPL auction.
The Vijay Mallya Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise team was seriously contemplating releasing Yuvraj, bought for Rs 14 crore last year, to this year’s auction but they have met with unexpected resistance from Kholi, the skipper of the Bangalore team.
Kohli is believed to have argued that the India discard is still a matchwinner forcing the RCB management to rethink its strategy. The decision-making core cricket committee of the RCB, comprising former India player Brijesh Patel and former Karnataka South Zone batsman Avinash Vaidya, has left the decision to Mallya. “The boss (Mallya) will take a decision,” a top RCB official told Mirror.
Yuvraj was the biggest draw at the 2014 auction having been sold for the highest price. But his performance did not exactly match his price in the IPL 7. He managed a modest 376 runs at an average of 34 in 14 league games. But Kohli is still standing by him.
Disclosed a top India player and Yurvaj’s former India teammate, “Yuvi has told us that he will have to face the auction this year but later he has come to know that Virat is fighting to retain him.” Yuvraj himself did not reply to a question from this paper but his agent confirmed that the Punjab batsman is aware of Virat’s backing. “We know of Virat’s insistence otherwise he would have been released by now,” the agent said. The franchises have time up to Monday to inform the IPL about the players they intend to retain and release.
The RCB’s original strategy was to not discard Yuvraj completely. They had planned to release him and buy him back for a lesser price as not many teams would have had enough money to outbid them. In the process, they would have some money to buy other players as well.
But their plans got offset once they realised the impending threat from the Delhi franchise, which is believed to be contemplating releasing big players, namely Kevin Pietersen (Rs 9 cr)r, Murali Vijay (Rs 5 cr) and Mayank Agarwal (Rs 1.6 cr). Delhi had finished at the bottom of the IPL 7and it is being said they would liquidate the white elephants, which would mean the Daredevils would also have enough money to compete and even outbid RCB for Yuvraj.
In the IPL circle, the talking point is Yuvraj and Kohli’s backing for him. “It will be a big decision for Mr Mallya, whether to go with the captain or pragmatism,” said the CEO of a top franchise.
All eyes are now on Mallya and whether he will be dictated by the sentiments of his captain or by the economics of the IPL auction.
