West Indies veteran batsman Chris Gayle has revealed this which has shocked the cricket fans. Gayle said that the behavior received by Punjab Kings hurt him so much that he had reached the verge of depression. He even cried while talking to the then coach of the team Anil Kumble on the phone.
Punjab Kings made serious allegations
Chris Gayle was associated with the Punjab Kings team in the year 2018. He was bought by the team for Rs 2 crore. He performed brilliantly for Punjab Kings for three consecutive seasons, but the situation changed in 2021. Gayle says that the team management did not treat him respectfully and tried him like a “child”, not like a “senior player”. He said, “In the Punjab team, I felt that injustice was happening to me. For the first time I realized in life that I was moving towards depression.”
Tears spilled in conversation with Anil Kumble
Gayle said that both bio-bubble pressure and the attitude of the team had made him mentally weakened. He called coach Anil Kumble and also told his situation. Gayle said, “I told Kumble that I am leaving the Punjab Kings team. During that time we were also preparing for the World Cup and the bio-bubble broke me mentally. I cried while talking to him. I felt that I felt that the team was not going in the right direction.”
Captain Rahul’s call also ineffective
Gayle also told that captain KL Rahul had asked him to play the next match, but by then he had made up his mind. He replied, “All the Best, I am going.” After this, he packed his bag and went out in the middle of IPL 2021.
Performance for Punjab Kings
Chris Gayle played brilliant innings for Punjab.
In season 2018 – 368 runs
Average – 40 plus
In season 2019 – 490 runs
Average – 40 plus
In season 2020 – 288 runs
Average – 41 plus
But his performance in 2021 was not special and he scored only 193 runs in that season. After this, he was also dropped from the last eleven by Punjab Kings.
In IPL career, Gayle has scored 4965 runs in 142 matches. During this time his average was 40 and the strike rate was more than 148. It also includes 6 centuries. Despite this, his chapter with Punjab Kings ended with disappointment and controversies.