‘Felt like I was in depression mode for first time’: Chris Gayle claims being disrespected by IPL franchise

Legendary West Indies batter and an IPL great, Chris Gayle, is still the leading run-getter in T20 cricket all over the world, with 14,562 runs to his name in the shortest recognised format. Gayle, who amassed 17,000-plus runs across Tests and ODIs, really unleashed his power and explosiveness in the T20 format in the IPL, scoring 4,965 runs in the cash-rich league in 142 matches playing for three teams in his career of 13 seasons. He began at Kolkata Knight Riders, then had the best of his career at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) before finishing at the Punjab Kings.

Gayle recently opened up about his unceremonious exit from the Punjab Kings and that, for a senior cricketer, he wasn’t valued and respected by the team management and the owners as he should have and that it led to him prioritising his mental health, given there was a T20 World Cup round the corner.

“Oh my IPL ended prematurely, you know, with Punjab to be honest with you,” Gayle told Shubhankar Mishra on his podcast. “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,” he added. After the 2021 edition of the IPL had resumed in the UAE, following the premature suspension in April-May due to the second COVID-19 wave, Gayle played just two games and even during one of the games against the Mumbai Indians he had mentioned that he wasn’t doing all that well mentally.

“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.’”

“So I called him and had a one-on-one talk to him, you know, actually break down 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,” he added.

It wasn’t the greatest of ends of an illustrious IPL career, given Gayle didn’t score a single fifty in that season and the Kings struggled as well, finishing in sixth place with six wins in 14 matches.