IPL 2018: A look at Chris Gayle's glorious IPL career
Chris Gayle is arguably the King of T20 cricket. After all, he is the all-time leading run scorer in the shortest format of the game. Gayle, who is a power-hitter, is one of the most sought-after players in franchise cricket. He has been a part of 7 leagues. But how has he fared in the best league of them all, the IPL?
Do you know the records held by 'Universe Boss'?
Gayle's illustrious IPL career in numbers
The towering Jamaican has been a part of 101 IPL matches and has scored 3,626 runs at an average of 41.20 and a blistering strike rate of 151.20. Gayle has 5 hundreds and 21 fifties to his name.
Top individual score in T20 cricket
Gayle's 66 ball 175* against Pune Warriors, in 2013, is the highest individual score in T20 cricket. In the same innings, he scored the fastest T20 hundred in just 30 balls. Gayle smashed 17 sixes which is the most hit by a player in an IPL innings. RCB also posted the highest team total in T20 (263/5). All these records remain unbroken in IPL.
Gayle started his career with Kolkata Knight Riders
Chris Gayle, who did not play the inaugural edition of the IPL, was a part of KKR for the next two seasons. It is fair to say that Gayle did not meet the expectations and was way below his standards. In 2009, he scored 171 runs in 7 games and in the 2010 edition he mustered 292 runs in 9 games.
Chris has the most sixes in IPL history
Chris Gayle has smashed 265 sixes in the IPL which is the most by any cricketer. He is miles ahead of Suresh Raina, who is on second spot with 173 sixes to his name. Rohit Sharma comes third with 172 sixes.
Gayle's career transformed after signing for RCB
2011 was a life-changing year for Universe Boss. Gayle joined RCB and the rest is history. Chris Gayle instantly became an IPL legend. In 2011, he slammed 2 hundreds while scoring 608 runs. In the next two seasons, he scored 733 and 708 runs setting the IPL alight with his big hitting. Gayle's influence slowly began to fade away in the next 4 seasons.
Only player to score 5 IPL hundreds
Chris Gayle has scored 5 IPL hundreds and tops the list of number of centuries by an individual in the IPL. His team-mate and RCB skipper Virat Kohli comes next with 4 centuries to his name.
