“I wasn’t treated properly”- Chris Gayle breaks silence on why he opted out of IPL 2022; promises to return next year

“I wasn’t treated properly”- Chris Gayle breaks silence on why he opted out of IPL 2022; promises to return next year

Chris Gayle

Indian Premier League is incomplete with the mention of one of the most explosive batsmen and the Caribbean super star Chris Gayle. He used to cause ‘Gayle Storm’ to smash bowlers and win matches single-handedly. Fans must have turned on their TV especially to see him hitting sixes without moving an inch from the crease.

Previously he had represented three franchises- Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Kings X| Punjab. Unquestionably, his best phase came alongside RCB where the terrific trio of Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, and AB de Villiers had formed a strong wall for the opponents.

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Chris Gayle opted out of IPL 2022

Chris Gayle
Chris Gayle

But regretfully, in the 15th edition of IPL, fans have missed the ‘Universe Boss’ because he decided to pull himself out of the mega auction before this tournament. While doing an interview, the West Indian cited that a lack of respect was the reason behind this decision.

“For the last couple of years, the way the IPL went about, I felt like I wasn’t treated properly,” Gayle was quoted as saying by The Mirror.
“So, I thought ‘okay, you (Gayle) didn’t get the respect you deserved after you did so much for the sport and IPL.’ So, I said ‘okay, that’s it, I’m not going to bother to enter the draft,’ so I left it as it is. There is always going to be life after cricket so I’m just trying to adapt to normality.”

The West Indian still holds the record for the highest individual score in IPL history, an unbeaten 175, which he slammed against Pune Warriors in 2013 while representing RCB. He has scored 4,965 runs in 142 matches at a strike rate of 148.96. He still has a plethora of records to his name.

The 42-year-old also said later in the interview that he will return to IPL in 2023.

“Next year I’m coming back, they need me!” He chuckled. “I have represented three teams in the IPL, Kolkata, RCB and Punjab. Between RCB and Punjab, I would love to get a title with one of those teams,” he confirmed.

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