Whenever it’s a matchday in which Kings XI Punjab is involved, there is anticipation amongst the fans whether Chris Gayle would play or not. The Jamaican hasn’t yet featured in any of the games this season. When KL Rahul walked out for the toss alongside the RR skipper Steve Smith, the Gayle fans were watching with hopeful eyes. Keep reading to find out the reason why Chris Gayle is not playing against Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2020.
The coin fell in favor of Smith and he opted to bowl. The expectations rose that Gayle could be making his first appearance this year. However, the West Indian superstar still wasn’t included in the playing XI. There was a certain contingent that was disappointed yet again with the news of no Gayle in the line-up.
Here is why Chris Gayle not playing today against RR
Chris Gayle had opted out of the Caribbean Premier League that took place just before the IPL. Even before that, he didn’t take the field for a long time. So, he hardly has any game time behind his back. If the year was 2015, the left-hander would have been amongst the first picks in the XI.
Gayle is now 41-years-old. We hate to admit that the batsman who used to draw the crowd in the stadium, is degrading as far as the batting prowess is concerned. It’s certain that considering his age, he can not feature in every game. So, KXIP management is waiting for the right time to unleash the beast. Even Rahul had said that Gayle would come in when the time is right.
In the two games that KXIP have played before this one, the openers Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul have done a brilliant job. Therefore, there may not be a need just yet to play Gayle. The franchise is picking Nicholas Pooran, Glenn Maxwell, and James Neesham and Sheldon Cottrell as the 4 overseas players.
Apart from Cottrell, none of the other 3 have made a huge impact so far. So, the team might want to look at these player’s performances for a couple more games before slotting Gayle in. For now, the entertainer is forced to entertain from the pavilion.
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