RCB Legend Chris Gayle Opens Up on His With the Franchise

It has been 15 years since the start of IPL and the RCB franchise is yet to win its first title. Over the years, the franchise has seen some great players like Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn, Mitchell Starc, Shane Warne, etc be part of their team. Last year, they announced that Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers will be the first ones to get inducted into the RCB hall of fame. Moreover, as a mark of respect to these legends, the team also retired the jersey number, “333” and “17”.

In a chat show on JioCinema, Chris Gayle spoke about his experience with the RCB management early in the early seasons of IPL. He acknowledged that the management was only focused on 3 big names: Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and Gayle himself. This resulted in a lot of players on the team feeling left out and this was also reflected in the team’s performance. However, the team now seems to be in a much better position since Mike Hesson took over as the position of director of cricket.

When it comes to the RCB point of view, a lot of players felt left out: Chris Gayle

“Sometimes, being one of the main players, being the main man of the franchise, I am always in my own zone, pretty much. What I understand when it comes to the RCB point of view, a lot of players felt left out. A lot of players did not feel like they were a part of the franchise. It was like it’s only 3 players getting all the attention – myself, Virat, and AB. A lot of players pretty much, mentally, they were nowhere within the team. So that’s always going to be a challenge to win a title,” Chris Gayle said.

In the last 2 years, the RCB team has seen several changes with AB de Villiers retiring, Virat Kohli stepping down from the captaincy, and a new team. The 2022 auction saw RCB build a core team, especially around domestic players but acquiring some big names too like Faf Du Plessis who is now leading the side. The team has put up a good performance in the last few years, with qualifying for the playoffs thrice since 2019. This year the IPL will go back to the original 7 games at home and 7 away. Gujarat Titans are the defending champions they will play against Chennai Super Kings in the season opener on 31st March.