“I Cried Before Kumble” – Chris Gayle Reveals How He Was Disrespected in Punjab Kings

Chris Gayle has opened up about the struggles he faced during his final years in the Indian Premier League. The West Indies opener said he felt disrespected at Punjab Kings and revealed the mental toll it took on him.

Gayle began his IPL career with Kolkata Knight Riders but rose to stardom at Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He became one of the most feared openers in the league, scoring runs alongside Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.

In 2018, Punjab Kings bought him for INR 2 crore. He went on to play 41 matches for the franchise, scoring 1,339 runs at an average of 36 and a strike rate of 143.

The left-hander’s stint with Punjab ended during the 2021 season when the league was being held in bio-bubbles due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gayle said that environment made things harder for him and he decided to leave midway through the tournament.

Speaking on a podcast with Shubhankar Mishra, Gayle shared that his IPL career ended earlier than he wanted.

“I was disrespected in the franchise. I wasn’t being treated properly as a senior player who had done so much for the league. I felt like I was being treated like a kid. For the first time in my life I felt depressed,” Gayle said.

He added that he had a long conversation with then head coach Anil Kumble.

“I called Anil. I had a one-on-one discussion and told him I was leaving. We were stuck in bubbles and mentally it was destroying me. After the last game against Mumbai, I thought staying would only harm me more. I wanted peace,” Gayle revealed.

Gayle said he broke down during that conversation. “I literally cried when I was talking to Kumble. I was really hurt and disappointed with him and the way the franchise was run at that time,” he said.

He also shared that then captain KL Rahul reached out to him.

“KL called me and asked me to stay and play the next game. But I had already made up my mind. I packed my bags and walked out,” Gayle said.

Gayle played his last IPL match against Mumbai Indians. He ended his IPL career with 4965 runs in 142 matches at a strike rate of 148.96.