IPL 2021: Chris Gayle's Mismanagement Leaves Sunil Gavaskar, Kevin Pietersen Fuming

Punjab Kings (PBKS) batsman, Chris Gayle, decided to leave the IPL bio-bubble after complaining of bubble fatigue. He will not be taking part in the remainder of the tournament but will turn up for West Indies in the upcoming T20 World Cup in UAE.

Gayle’s decision to leave was supported by the fans and experts. However, people condemned the way Gayle was handled by the PBKS management. He is considered to be the greatest T20 batsman the world has ever seen but the Punjab franchise’s handling of a man of his stature was disliked by Sunil Gavaskar and Kevin Pietersen.

“He is not being treated right in his environment. He feels like they are using him and getting rid of him, using him and getting rid of him. They didn’t play him on his birthday, cast him aside. If he is not happy, he is 42, let him do what he wants,” Pietersen said on Star Sports.

“It’s a big loss if Chris Gayle is not in the team” – Sunil Gavaskar

Chris Gayle explained that he was part of the CWI (Cricket West Indies) bubble, the CPL (Caribbean Premier League) bubble, and now the IPL bubble. He felt that a break was imminent with the major ICC tournament coming up soon. His absence will certainly hurt Punjab Kings’s quest to make the playoffs, as Gavaskar elaborated.

“A game-changer like Chris Gayle, if he is not in the team, 100 percent it’s a big loss. I think he is in and out of the team. I don’t know what the calculations are. And sure, he is over 40 and he might not be able to do it at a consistent level that he used to do. But he is a game-changer. 3 overs of Gayle storm and the game is gone from the opposition,” Gavaskar said.

If Gayle isn’t retained by PBKS or no franchise at the auction buys him next year, we would have likely seen him play his last game in the IPL last week against Mumbai Indians.

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