The West Indian opener claims he did not enter the mega auction due to feeling disrespected by the competition - but has hinted he could be back in 2023
Chris Gayle has taken aim at the Indian Premier League while revealing the reasons behind the decision not to enter the mega auction ahead of the 2022 tournament.
The West Indian opener may not be the force he once was but he was a notable absentee when players went under the hammer in February.
David Warner and AB de Villiers are the only overseas players with more than Gayle's 4,965 runs in the competition - which sees him seventh on the all-time list.
Gayle's heroics came across spells at Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Punjab Kings, who released him at the end of the 2021 edition.
He cut short-his participation in the last tournament due to bubble fatigue.
It has now materialised that the 42-year-old felt disrespected during his various spells in the competition - though he has refrained from going into full detail - leading to him not submitting himself for the auction.
"For the last couple of years, the way the IPL went about, I felt like I wasn’t treated properly," Gayle told The Mirror.
"So I thought ‘okay, you (Gayle) didn’t get the respect you deserved after you did so much for the sport and IPL.’
"So I said ‘okay, that’s it, I’m not going to bother to enter the draft,’ so I left it as it is.
Gayle's last competitive outings came in the Bangladesh Premier League (MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/Getty Images)
"There is always going to life after cricket so I’m just trying to adapt to normality."
He was last active in the Bangladesh Premier League when his 241 runs in 10 innings helped Fortune Barishal finish as runners-up.
It was reported that at least two franchises wanted Gayle to include himself in the auction list.
And it is clear the left-hander feels that without an IPL title to his name he has unfinished business in the tournament.
He added: "Next year I’m coming back, they need me!
"I’ve represented three teams in the IPL, Kolkata, RCB and Punjab. Between RCB and Punjab, I would love to get a title, with one of those two teams.
"I had a great stint with RCB where I was more successful within the IPL, and Punjab, they’ve been good. I love to explore and I love challenges so let's see what happens."
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