IPL Auction 2023: "He Has Probably Hurt Within Himself" - Chris Gayle Feels For Mayank Agarwal After Punjab Kings Released Him

Chris Gayle, a seasoned West Indian starting pitcher, voiced displeasure with the manner the Punjab Kings handled Mayank Agarwal. He thinks teams would spend a lot of money on the right-handed batsman in the Indian Premier League (IPL) mini-auction because of all he has to offer. 

Agarwal, who led Punjab Kings in the 2022 IPL season, was not retained for the subsequent season. In the 2022 edition, the 31-year-old had only amassed 196 runs at 16.33 with a strike rate of 122.50 in 13 games. 

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Mayank Agarwal Will Definitely Get Picked: Chris Gayle

Gayle believed the Karnataka batter had been upset after being released by the team during an event organised by Jio Cinema prior to the IPL auction. He described Mayank Agarwal as a team player and said: 

“Mayank will definitely get picked. I would be very disappointed if he doesn’t because he is such an explosive player. He has probably hurt within himself at not being retained by Punjab after what he sacrificed for the franchise.  

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“And to be treated like that is disappointing but I hope teams still believe in him and give him good money. He is a fantastic team man as well.” 

After Mayank Agarwal was fired, the franchise named Shikhar Dhawan as their captain. Agarwal’s starting bid in the 2019 IPL auction is INR 1 crore. 

Chris Gayle Slams Punjab Kings’ Management

The Jamaican, who spent four years as a player with the Punjab Kings, emphasised the management’s style of “chopping and replacing,” alleging that it places too much pressure on athletes. Gayle continued: 

“They chop and change man, it is ridiculous. You keep chopping and changing, they never have a set eleven whether you win a match. Sometimes, they would go with the same team but so often players don’t feel comfortable.  

“When they do get a chance and IPL is already pressure, so you end putting more excessive pressure and with that, you won’t see them flourishing within the game.” 

Punjab Kings had a winning and losing record of seven games as they placed sixth in the IPL 2022 points standings. 

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