"I wanted to run away from Kings XI Punjab" - 5 star players who were angry with how IPL teams treated them
IPL teams are among the most popular sports franchises in the world. The BCCI launched the Indian Premier League with eight teams in 2008. Over the last 15 years, the brand value of all IPL teams has increased significantly, with several world-class companies waiting in line to associate themselves with the league.
One of the major reasons behind the popularity of the teams is the way the owners have built a massive fanbase for their franchises by signing the best players in the world. Apart from that, the marketing of the league has been great as well, helping all teams attract millions of fans.
Despite all this, the league has not been free from controversies. There have been multiple instances of star players complaining about bad treatment from their teams. Here's a list of five such instances.
#1 Yuzvendra Chahal recently expressed his unhappiness after being released by RCB
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) played a major role in Yuzvendra Chahal's rise. Chahal warmed the benches at Mumbai Indians for multiple seasons before moving to RCB in 2014. Bangalore backed him, and he ended up becoming one of the top leg-spinners in the world.
Surprisingly, RCB let go of Chahal after the 2021 season and did not bid aggressively for him at the mega auction in 2022. They preferred Wanindu Hasaranga over him.
Commenting on his release, Chahal recently said on Ranveer Allahbadia’s YouTube channel:
"When I put my name up for the auction, they promised me that they will go all out for me. I said okay, but then I was very angry [He was not picked by RCB]. I think I did not speak to the coaches for 2-3 days. Even when I played my first match for RR against RCB, I did not speak to anyone."
#2 Yuvraj Singh once disclosed he wanted to run away from Punjab team
Punjab Kings (formerly known as Kings XI Punjab) signed Yuvraj Singh as their captain in 2008. Punjab qualified for the semifinals in 2008 but failed to finish in the top four in 2009. Singh soon lost the team's captaincy and was released before the 2011 season.
After retirement, Singh spoke with Nikhil Naz on Instagram Live, where he shared some lesser-known details about his first stint with Punjab, saying:
“I wanted to run away from Kings XI Punjab … the management didn’t like me there … they did nothing I asked them to do … and when I left they bought all the players I had been asking them to. I love Punjab but I did not like the running of the franchise.”
#3 Brad Hodge claimed he was yet to be paid 35% of his IPL 2011 salary
Kochi Tuskers Kerala (KTK) joined IPL in 2011. They were one of the two new IPL teams along with Pune Warriors at that time. While Pune played in three IPL seasons, Kochi were disbanded after the 2011 season itself due to some off-field reasons.
Ten years after the franchise's disbandment, former Kochi player Brad Hodge made a surprising claim on Twitter, asking the BCCI to locate 35% of the players' salaries from their deal with KTK.
"Players are still owed 35% of their money earned from ten years ago from the @IPL representing Kochi tuskers. Any chance @BCCI could locate that money?" Hodge tweeted.
@telecricket @izzywestbury Players are still owed 35% of their money earned from ten years ago from the @IPL representing Kochi tuskers. Any chance @BCCI could locate that money?
#4 The David Warner vs Sunrisers Hyderabad saga
IPL 2021 was the worst season for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). The Orange Army not only finished last for the first time in a season but also ended up spoiling their relationship with captain David Warner.
After Warner's failure in four of their first five matches of the 2021 season and a comment that might have irked the team management, SRH sacked him as the captain. Speaking with India Today, Warner revealed that he was never told why he was dropped as a captain.
“The disappointing thing for me was not being explained why I was dropped as captain. If you want to go along the lines of form, it is a difficult one because I guess whatever you have done in the past would have some weight moving forward, you would think," said Warner.
After being sacked as the captain, Warner was also dropped from the playing XI. He was not even a part of the squad that played in the last few games as he watched the match live from the hotel.
#5 Parthiv Patel takes a shot at RCB after retirement
Parthiv Patel ended his career in 2020, with Royal Challengers Bangalore being his last IPL franchise. RCB kept him on the bench for the entire season.
After the season ended, Patel announced his retirement from the IPL, and then RCB named him on the list of players released by them ahead of the auction. Patel took a shot at the RCB management after that as he tweeted:
"An absolute honour to be released after being retired . ... thank you @RCBTweets."
An absolute honour to be released after being retired . ... thank you @RCBTweets
Patel's tweet received a lot of attention from the fans on social media. The tweet got more than 61,000 likes and 2,000 retweets.