The ‘Universe boss’ created history as he smashed an unbeaten 175 off just 66 balls in the IPL. This included the fastest ton of 31 balls while he also hit 17 sixes, the most-ever.
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Chris Gayle is arguably the best player in T20 cricket history. He is the first cricketer to cross 10,000 runs in T20I’s. He also became the first player in the format to reach 1000 sixes last year. In the Indian Premier League, no player has smashed more sixes than him. He has 112 more sixes than Ab de Villiers, who is second on the list, with 352. Not to mention the fact that he has twice won the T20 World Cup. It’s fair to say that his effect on T20 cricket is unrivalled. However, despite all his incredible achievements, there is one knock that stands out.
The knock redefined brutality. It rewrote the history books and made Gayle the G.O.A.T of T20 cricket. The impact was so much that the team lost to his knock alone.
Gayle’s best innings of his franchise career came in the match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Pune Warriors in IPL 2013 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. After winning the toss, Pune Warrior’s captain Aaron Finch chose to bowl. This proved to be a poor choice, as Gayle and the RCB batting unit put up a put up a display which made the day memorable.
Chris Gayle had slammed 175 runs off just 66 balls. His innings was comprised of 17 sixes and 13 fours. Before this, the previous highest tally of most sixes in an innings in IPL was Brendon McCullum, who had slammed 13 sixes while scoring 158* against RCB in 2008. The previous highest in all of T20s was 16 by Graham Napier of Essex when he too smashed 156 for Essex against Sussex in 2008
Gayle annihilated the opposition bowling, punishing every bowler. He put on a 167-run opening stand with Tillakaratne Dilshan in just 13.4 overs. The Sri Lankan, on the other hand, only contributed 33 runs, with Gayle stealing the spotlight.
Despite a rain delay in the middle of the innings, Gayle began his rampage. He blasted four sixes and a four off Mitchell Marsh as he reached his fifty off 17 balls. Gayle was in sublime form, blasting two sixes and a four off Ali Murtaza. The destruction had only begun. Gayle hit four sixes and a four off Aaron Finch. The left-hander notched up his hundred by hammering Ashoke Dinda over the roof to get to his hundred off 30 balls, which was the fastest ever.
The carnage had not stopped. Gayle smashed three sixes and two fours off Murtaza, including two balls that went into the roof as he reached 150. McCullum’s 158 was soon broken and Gayle ended the innings unbeaten on 175. RCB put on a huge 263/5 in 20 overs, which at the time was the highest team score in a T20 contest
The impact of the knock was such that Pune Warriors players were left scared. Gayle also took two wickets as Pune Warriors lost by 42 runs to Gayle’s bat alone. It was a freakish innings from an individual who redefined T20s. The barriers of impossible were pushed in this knock and the IPL was never the same again.
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