In a major blow to the team Punjab Kings, their star player Chris Gayle has decided to pull out of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 due to ‘bubble fatigue’. The team has released a statement in this concern on Thursday. This came as a shock for his fans. Soon, the cricketer was trending on social media. Gayle has played two games for his side till now in the UAE. He mentioned that he wants to refresh before the start of the T20 World Cup later this month.
In a statement released, Gayle said that staying in a protected environment has taken a toll on him. “Over the last few months, I have been a part of the CWI bubble, CPL bubble followed by the IPL bubble, and I wish to mentally recharge and refresh myself. I want to refocus on helping the West Indies in the T20 World Cup and would like to take a break in Dubai. My thanks to the Punjab Kings for giving me the time off. My wishes and hopes are with the squad always. All the very best for the games coming up,” said Gayle.
As reported, the head coach of Punjab Kings, Anil Kumble said the team respects Gayle’s decision. “I’ve played against Chris and have coached him at Punjab Kings. I’ve known him he has always been an absolute professional”, he added.
It is worth mentioning here that Gayle is not the first player to pull of IPL 2021. Dawid Malan, Chris Woakes, Jonny Bairstow, Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler also decided to pull out of the tournament due to various reasons.