'Thank you Chris Gayle' trends after he pulls out as fans suggest 'Universe Boss' might have played his last IPL

'Universe Boss' Chris Gayle has pulled out of the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and will not feature in the remaining three games of the Punjab Kings. The franchise announced late Thursday night that the 42-year old has exited the bio-bubble to recharge himself mentally for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021.

#PBKS respects and supports the decision of @henrygayle.

Wishing him all the success for the upcoming #T20WorldCup!#SaddaPunjab #IPL2021 #PunjabKings https://t.co/QmTqhd8w6k

— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) September 30, 2021

With this Gayle in all likelihood might have played his last IPL considering it is a mega-auction next year and under the current situation, the bubbles aren't going anywhere and unfortunately, have become part of cricketers' life today.

Gayle, who was selected in the West Indies squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the UAE and Oman, has been in bio-bubbles since June this year first with the West Indies team for the home season (including 14 T20Is against Australia, South Africa and Pakistan) and then the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and now the IPL.

 UPDATE 

Chris Gayle will not be a part of the PBKS squad for the remainder of #IPL2021! #SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings pic.twitter.com/vHfyEeMOOJ

— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) September 30, 2021

Chris Gayle to PBKS team management before leaving the IPL bio-bubble : pic.twitter.com/5eDLRsTWOe

— chaat (@chaatmasaala) September 30, 2021

The hard-hitting batter has been one of the greatest overseas players to play the IPL scoring 4965 runs in 147 games across 13 seasons playing for three franchises. Gayle started his IPL journey with the Sourav Ganguly-led Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2009 season and played 16 games for the side in two seasons scoring 463 runs.

In a shock to the cricketing world, Gayle went unsold in the 2011 mega-auction, only to be called as a replacement player by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in [place of the injured pacer Dirk Nannes and he lit up the IPL, not just that particular season but seven seasons he played for that franchise.

Gayle went absolute bonkers in the first three seasons with RCB scoring 608 runs in 2011, which included two centuries, 733 runs in 2012, including one hundred, 708 runs in 2013, in which he scored the highest runs by a better in T20 Cricket when he smashed Pune Warriors bowlers around to score 175* off just 66 balls, as RCB was known by the trio of Gayle, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers for those six seasons.

RCB eventually released Gayle after 2017 after he had low returns in the previous few seasons. Kings XI Punjab then picked him up at his base price of INR 2 Crore in the 2018 mega-auction and Gayle returned to his best with a new team, new colours.

Gayle brought up his 6th IPL century and first for Punjab as he amassed 490 runs in the 2018 season at an average of 40.88 and the Punjab fans had made him their own.

Now, in his early 40s and COVID-19 dictating terms, the fans suggested that the legend of the game, with 14000+ runs in T20 cricket, might have played his last IPL, 35 runs short of 5000-mark as 'Thank You Chris Gayle' started trending. Here are some of the reactions:

Probably we have seen the last of Universe Boss in the IPL. These Moments will live forever in the memories pic.twitter.com/uXitts8IUy

— Prithvi (@Puneite_) September 30, 2021

If at all we have seen the last of the Boss at the @IPL, just wanna say its been an incredible privilege sir!
There won't be anyone like you!
Champion for life!@henrygayle
Keep smacking in the maroons!
Hopefully roll back some years come the world cup!

— Gagan Chawla (@toecrushrzzz) September 30, 2021

Chris Gayle probably played his final IPL game. Not sure if he'll enter auctions next year or any team pick him. He'll forever remain the greatest draw of IPL, none can match his hitting abilities. Regret that he missed out on 5,000 runs. Thank you for everything, @henrygayle.

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) September 30, 2021

Was far ahead of his time in terms of six hitting, matchups & had the greatest three year peak any IPL player could have had. The era has probably ended in a whimper but he’ll always be remembered as T20 cricket’s first hall of famer & the face of one of IPL’s biggest teams pic.twitter.com/mP0BhfpaSW

— Static_357 (@Static_a357) September 30, 2021

This was probably Gayle’s last IPL.
You will be missed boss.
Thanks for so many memories.
You were one of the main reason why I became an IPL fan.
Thank You for so much entertainment @henrygayle pic.twitter.com/7ecCDP0T1z

— Parth Tyagi (@parthtyagi21) September 30, 2021

You'll forever remain the greatest player of IPL, none can match your hitting abilities. Thank You Universe Boss! #Gayle @henrygayle @RCBTweets #IPL2021 pic.twitter.com/upBsWBNGCj

— Rajat... (@__pandeyji__) September 30, 2021

Have we seen the last of #ChrisGayle at the IPL? Would he get picked in the next auction? Would that scenario change since it’s a 10-team league? But then it’d be a 3-year contract. So, I doubt!

— Manish Batavia (@manishbatavia) September 30, 2021

Regardless of how many titles any team has have won, VINTAGE AB-VK-GAYLE WOULD ALWAYS REMAIN AT EPITOME FIASCO OF MY MEMORIES, IT WOULD BE DEVASTATING IF HE HAS PLAYED HIS LAST IPL GAME ALREADY. THANKS UNIVERSE BOSS @henrygayle https://t.co/LQ3RRNsymA

— himanshu (@cricshaukeen) September 30, 2021