Chris Gayle accuses IPL franchise of disrespect

Former West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle has accused Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Punjab Kings (PBKS) of disrespecting him during his stint with the side.

Throughout his IPL career, the former opening batter played for Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings in 142 matches, in which he amassed 4,965 runs.

Chris Gayle holds the record of the highest individual score in the tournament, having smashed 175 off 66 balls.

Additionally, the former West Indies cricketer tops the list of batters with the most sixes in the league’s history, with a total of 357 sixes to his name.

Despite being a notable feature in the IPL throughout history, Chris Gayle quite the tournament in an unpleasant manner.

The former batter has now reveled the reason behind his sudden departure from the IPL 2021 mid-season.

During a recent interview with an Indian media outlet, Gayle maintained that he left the tournament due to PBKS’s attitude towards him.

“My IPL ended prematurely with Punjab. To be honest, I was disrespected at Kings XI Punjab. I felt I wasn’t treated properly as a senior player who had done so much for the league and brought value to the franchise. Instead, they treated me like a kid. For the first time in my life, I felt like I was slipping into depression,” Gayle said.

He added, “Your mental health is more important than money. I called Anil (Kumble) and told him I was leaving. At the time, we had the World Cup and were stuck in a bubble, which was destroying me mentally.”

Chris Gayle recalled breaking down in front of Anil Kumble, who was serving as the coach of the IPL franchise.

“I was disappointed with him and the way the franchise was run. KL Rahul, the captain, even called me saying, ‘Chris, stay, you’ll play the next game.’ But I just said, ‘I wish you all the best,’ packed my bag, and walked out,” he added.