“For the first time in my life, I felt depression…”- Chris Gayle says PBKS disrespected him during his final IPL

Chris Gayle made 4965 runs in 142 IPL games with six centuries from 2008-2021.

Chris Gayle, the Universe Boss and ex-West Indies cricketer, opened up about his unceremonious exit from the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) franchise in the middle of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. Chris Gayle had joined the PBKS franchise after being released by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ahead of IPL 2018.

Chris Gayle is a T20 pioneer and giant with 14562 runs in 463 T20 games with 22 centuries and 88 fifties with a strike rate of 144.75. He holds the record for the fastest T20 century in 30 balls and the highest score in T20s—175*.

He scored the most runs in the IPL out of the nine T20 leagues he has participated in thus far. He made 4965 runs in 142 IPL games while playing for the PBKS, RCB, and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) between 2009 and 2021. With 357 sixes, he continues to hold the IPL record.

His departure from the IPL was abrupt, even though he was a legend and had incredible batting records.

I was disrespected at Kings XI Punjab: Chris Gayle

Before quitting the season in the middle of 2021, he last played for PBKS against the Mumbai Indians (MI). He disclosed what caused him to take that action years after the incident.

In an interview with Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast, Gayle said the franchise was treating him disrespectfully. He even acknowledged crying when talking about his mental health with then-coach Anil Kumble.

“Oh my, 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 that money meant nothing compared to his mental peace at that stage.

“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. After my last game against Mumbai, I thought, ‘This doesn’t make sense. I’ll do myself more damage by staying.

“I broke down talking to Anil because I was really hurt. 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,” Gayle added.

The two-time T20 World Cup champion acknowledged that there were resentments but stated he was open to a potential IPL comeback.

“I was mistreated. I am available—if they want me, I’ll come. But yes, I do have grudges. Loyalty means a lot to me,” Gayle said.

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