Mighty muscles but a calm disposition on the cricket field, big backlift but an even bigger distance travelled by the ball once exploding from the meat of his bat; can there ever be a dull day in the life of Christopher Henry Gayle?
Thank god, he was part of the IPL 2018.
Loved by his West Indian fans, adored by Indians- the world admires the site of Gayle middling the ball and sending it out of the ground.
The big fella had a memorable IPL outing in the eleventh season of the show-stopping T20 league. This is when you consider that 368 runs from 11 games aren’t exactly dull, even as they are a bit sub-standard by Gayle’s usual enormous high standards in the IPL. Previously he’s clobbered in excess of 700 IPL runs in fashioning great triumphs for his previous outfit- the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
This time around, the site of Gayle, batting together with KL Rahul, another belligerent batsman was the cynosure for Punjab fans.
If not for anything else, then Gayle having struck 27 sixes this season speaks that he was a bit involved in familiar whackings. Even as, he may have wanted to compile a few more to the lot. It was akin to the site of Gayle having begun the climb to the summit well and fast enough to reach the peak but stopping midway, seemingly disinterested. Was it a mixed bag for the mighty Gayle?
Defenders of the big man, who’ve so often been charmed by his rebuking of bowlers would’ve found that since this was the first-ever season for Gayle with King’s XI, it may lead to something more substantial and fruitful in the forthcoming seasons. Gayle himself has suggested that he wants to come back stronger and mightier.
But let’s not get too divided on Chris Gayle.
But even then, the lanky Jamaican notched up a hundred and two vital fifties. For the large part of the first-half of the tournament, the ‘Universe Boss’ seemed to have measured every blade of grass on the ground and every parking lot in the stadia’s outside limits- so brutal was his form.
But in the latter half of the prestigious and coveted tournament But before he arrived, at the back of a successful campaign for his West Indies, having taken them through to the ICC World Cup 2019, playing his hand by striking a vital hundred, Gayle was a bit dour. He hadn’t easily pardoned the RCB, his former, illustrious outfit that failed to retain him.
There was a feeling that he was a bit disconsolate at having not been retained by the Virat Kohli-led RCB. He may or may not have wanted to move on to another outfit in the IPL. Additionally, there was a comfort, rather a sign of solace that in KL Rahul, a former contemporary or compatriot, howsoever you may want to call him at RCB, Gayle had an outlet for expression and a friend.
And soon then, upon finding the gaps in the initial games for King’s XI, Gayle was back to his best. Within the first 5 games for his newfound home in Punjab- the lanky Jamaican notched up a fantastic hundred and two vital fifties. It seemed that the big fellow was content here than what he may have been back at Bangalore.
It is now also known that Gayle’s proverbial bisecting of bowlers, a quintessential part of his T20 cricket still speaks of his abilities as a frontline batsman. He’s still very much among runs. Even as mighty formerly scores such as that iconic 175 may not be a reality, the picture of Gaye freeing his arms to send the ball out of a Holkar stadium at Indore or over long on at the IS Bindra at Mohali speaks of the confidence the attacking batsman produces.
He plans, therefore, to come back even stronger and has vowed to stay in the hunt for leading scores the next edition. And we ought to take it seriously when ominous words come from the mouth of this Godzilla of cricket. We can’t wait for any longer Chris. Go on and engage in being the wrecking crew of world’s best bowling attacks. This cricket turf is your field of dreams.