Legendary West Indies batsman Chris Gayle has entertained many cricket fans with his valor in the Indian Premier League (IPL) over the years. He has represented the likes of Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Punjab Kings till 2021. But this year, he pulled himself out of the mega auction held in February this year, leaving his fans in a state of despair.
As the fifteenth edition of the tournament nears its business end, Gayle has finally opened up about his decision. Speaking to leading English daily – Mirror, he cited the ‘lack of respect’ as the reason behind IPL 2022’s exit.
IPL Full Coverage , Schedule , result , orange cap , purple cap
Gayle was quoted as saying by mirror.co.uk, “The way the IPL happened over the years, I felt that I was not treated well.”
“So, I thought ‘Okay, after doing so much for the game and the IPL, you (Gayle) didn’t get the respect you deserved’. So, I said ‘Okay, that’s all, I won’t bother entering the draft,’ so I left it like that. There’s always life after cricket so I’m just trying to adapt to mediocrity.” They said.
He had no fixed place in the playing XI during his stint with Punjab Kings. Last year, Gayle scored 193 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 125.32. In 2020, he played just seven matches and scored 288 runs.
Gayle, who is affectionately called the ‘Universe Boss’, said that he will return to the cash-rich tournament next year in 2023.
“I’m coming back next year, they need me!” Gail chuckled.
“I have represented three teams in IPL, Kolkata, RCB and Punjab. Between RCB and Punjab, I would love to bag a title with one of those two teams. I had a wonderful stint with RCB where I was more successful in the IPL and they have been good in Punjab. I love to explore and I like challenges so let’s see what happens,” he concluded.
Gayle has 4,965 IPL runs in 142 matches. He also holds the record for the highest individual score in IPL history – 175 against Pune Warriors India in 2013.
Get all the latest updates cricket news, cricket pictures, cricket videos, IPL 2022 Live Updates And cricket score Here