"First time in my life I ever felt a depression mode" - Chris Gayle makes shocking claim about being disrespected by IPL franchise

Former West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle has made shocking claims about being disrespected by the Punjab Kings (PBKS) during the IPL 2021 season. The southpaw played four seasons for the Kings from 2018 to 2021. The 2021 edition began on April 9 but was indefinitely suspended due to COVID-19 on May 4.

The tournament then resumed on September 19. Gayle featured in two games following the resumption, with his last appearance coming against the Mumbai Indians on September 28. On September 30, it was announced that the former batter had pulled out for the remainder of the season due to ‘bubble fatigue.’

On Sunday, September 7, Shubhankar Mishra shared a video on his YouTube channel featuring Gayle as the guest. During the conversation, Gayle opened up about being disrespected by the franchise and revealed that he felt depressed. He said:

“Oh my IPL ended prematurely, you know, with Punjab to be honest with you. Yeah I mean absolutely, I mean I was disrespected in the franchise, Punjab Kings XI. You know, I felt like I wasn’t being treated properly for a senior guy done so much for the league, you know, bring so much value to the franchise as well. And then you’re being disrespected and they treat you like a kid, you know, and then pretty much I’m just like I felt like the building was on my shoulder. That’s the first time in my life I ever felt like a depression mode. So when people speak about depression, I can get a little sense of that and it wasn’t for me.”

Gayle added that he had a conversation with then head coach Anil Kumble and was disappointed with how the entire franchise was being managed.

“So I know we talking about it’s our job working but at that stage money at that stage nothing. You don’t need money right there, your mental health is more important than money. I called Anil (Anil Kumble). I had a one-on-one discussion and say listen I’m leaving because at the same time as well I had the World Cup and we were in a bubble so you couldn’t come out so your mental space was just going, it was just really really puzzling and destroying you. I was destroyed inside and after the last game I played against Mumbai I’m like, ‘Yo, it doesn’t make sense. I’m going to do myself more damage rather than be at peace.’”

The former West Indies legend continued:

“So I called him and had a one-on-one talk to him, you know, actually breakdown as well, literally a breakdown when I was talking to him because I was really hurt. Oh yeah I cried and I was disappointed with Anil and how the entire thing was actually run, the franchise was actually run at that time and I said listen man thank you. KL Rahul was the captain, he called me and said, “Yo Chris, you know, you want to stay, you’ll play the next game.” And I said listen to me man I wish you guys all the very best. I just packed my bag and I walked out.”

Punjab Kings struggled that season, ending up sixth on the points table.

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A look at Chris Gayle’s record for Punjab Kings in the IPL

Chris Gayle joined the Punjab Kings in 2018 and scored 368 runs in 11 games that season at an average of 40.88 and a strike rate of 146.03, including three fifties and one century. In the following season, he continued his form, accumulating 490 runs in 13 innings at an average of 40.83 and a strike rate of 153.60, hitting four fifties.

The 2020 season saw him score 288 runs in seven innings at an average of 41.14 and a strike rate of 137.14, with three fifties. However, he struggled in 2021, managing just 193 runs in 10 innings at an average of 21.44 and a strike rate of 125.32.

Overall, across four seasons, Gayle appeared in 41 games for the Kings, accumulating 1,339 runs at an average of 36.19 and a strike rate of 143.21, with 10 fifties and one century to his credit.