'There was too much of bullshit and I am the Universe Boss and I don't like bullshit.'
West Indies batting great Chris Gayle revealed the real reasons behind his sudden exit from IPL 2021, saying he felt disrespected by his team Punjab Kings, which pushed him into depression for the first time in his life.
IPL 2021 was suspended in May 2021 because of rising COVID-19 cases in India and resumed in the UAE in September. Gayle played two games for Punjab Kings after the resumption before he decided to leave the IPL's bio-secure environment initially citing 'bubble fatigue'.
Gayle has now shared the true reasons, claiming that he was not treated properly by the Punjab Kings.
'My IPL ended prematurely with Punjab Kings. I was absolutely disrespected in Punjab Kings. I felt I wasn't treated properly for a senior guy... done so much for the league, bring so much value for the franchise as well. And then you are being disrespected, and then you are treated like a kid. I felt the building was on my shoulder. That's first time in my life I ever felt like a depression mode,' Gayle said in a podcast with Shubhankar Mishra on his YouTube channel.
Gayle recalled an emotional conversation with then Punjab Kings head coach Anil Kumble when he broke down in tears.
'I called up Anil and said I am leaving. We are in a bubble so you couldn't come out, so your mental space was going and it was really, really puzzling and destroying.'
'I was being destroyed inside. And after the last game against Mumbai Indians, I was like 'it doesn't make sense. I am going to do myself more damage and I would rather be at peace.
'I called him (Kumble) to have a one on one talk to him and actually break down as well. I was literally breaking down when I was talking to him because I was really hurt. I cried.'
'I was disappointed with Anil and how the entire team was actually run at that time,' added the West Indian, the 10th highest run-getter in the IPL with 4,965 runs from 142 matches, including six centuries and 31 fifties.
Gayle, who last played in the IPL in 2021, still holds the record for most sixes in IPL. He has hit a staggering 357 sixes followed by Rohit Sharma with 302 runs and Virat Kohli third with 291.
'K L Rahul was the captain, he called me and said, 'Chris we want you to stay, you will play the next game'. I just said 'I wish you guys all the best' and I just packed my bags and I walked out. There was too much of bullshit and I am the Universe Boss and I don't like bullshit.'