India leg-spinner Rahul Chahar has opened up on his exit from Sunrisers Hyderabad, revealing that he did not receive any communication from the franchise
after being released ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction. Speaking in an exclusive conversation with CricTracker, Chahar addressed the circumstances around his SRH stint and looks forward to a new tenure with the Chennai Super Kings, who snapped him up for INR 5.2 crore in IPL 2026 mini-auction.
Chahar joined SRH ahead of IPL 2025 as one of their two specialist leg-spinners alongside Adam Zampa. Despite SRH investing in him at the auction, the 26-year-old featured in just one match during the season, bowling a solitary over. The lack of opportunities led to Chahar never settling into the setup, and eventually, his release before the mini-auction. Meanwhile, the youngster further pointed out the differences in the team cultures he has been part of.
Excerpts
Have you received any message from SRH after being released ahead of the mini auction?
No, there was no message. There was only one thing. They were playing someone else from the start. So, they said, if we played you, we would have backed you for the whole season. That's the way we go about it. If you had played earlier, we would have backed you in all the matches. But now, someone else is playing. So, we are going to back him for the season. And sorry. Nothing else. They said, it's not your mistake. That's the formality.What challenges did you face in your cricketing journey after migrating from Ramnagar to Delhi in 2011, up until you made your First-Class debut in 2017?
From the Mumbai Indians to the Punjab Kings & Sunrisers Hyderabad, how different are the team cultures you’ve experienced?
I think, if we talk about the Mumbai Indians, they were like a family for four years. Like, not only during the season, but even in the off-season, someone helps you, or if you want to do some training, or anything related to the game, or personal life, whatever. So, they were there for everything. So, they were like a family. And in Punjab, the coaches changed in three years. The players also changed a bit. We didn't win or qualify. So, the culture there was a bit different. But still, I had a good time in Punjab too, personally.
