"A lot of players felt left out"- Chris Gayle makes staggering remarks on why RCB haven't won an IPL title yet
Former RCB opener and "Universe Boss" Chris Gayle believes that only three players got all the attention during his association with the franchise - Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Gayle himself.
One of the enigmas of the IPL has been why RCB, boasting of international superstars such as Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and Shane Watson, to name a few, haven't been able to break the trophy barrier.
According to the left-hander, many of the other players on the team were feeling left out and not included with the team. The southpaw further reinstated that this was a key reason behind the franchise's inability to break through and win the title.
Speaking to Jio Cinema, the maverick batter threw his weight behind why he felt the team hadn't won an IPL title yet.
"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 from an RCB point of view is that a lot of players felt left out. A lot of players did not feel like they were a part of the franchise."
He further added:
"It was like only three players were 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."
Gayle, who was earlier part of the Kolkatta Knight Riders, was recruited by RCB midway through the 2011 season as a replacement for Dirk Nannes. His IPL career took off from there, as he was arguably the most integral part of the franchise during his tenure with them.
During his stint with the franchise from 2011 to 2017, the destructive opener scored five centuries and amassed over 3000 runs. He was also the Orange Cap winner in 2011 and 2012 and helped the team reach two IPL finals appearances in 2011 and 2016.
Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers: RCB Hall of Fame Induction on March 26
With the 16th season of the IPL getting closer by the day, there is additional excitement for fans across Bengaluru. The franchise plans to honor two stalwarts, Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers, by retiring their jersey numbers and inducting them into the Hall of Fame.
The event will be called RCB Unbox and is set to take place at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 26, with celebrities like Sonu Nigam and Jason Derulo performing at the event.
The franchise took to Twitter to make their announcement:
Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers were arguably the most popular and beloved overseas players in the IPL. The duo combined for over 10,000 runs at an average of 40 with a sensational strike rate of 150 in their illustrious IPL careers.
They also combined for nine centuries and 608 sixes, serving as two of the greatest match-winners in IPL history.