Abu Dhabi: “Universal Boss is here and still alive,” said Chris Gayle in the post-match ceremony after smashing 77 from 38 deliveries in Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) 21-run victory in the Indian Premier League against Gujarat Lions on Tuesday.
With that knock, he became the first batsman to reach the milestone of 10,000 runs alone in T20 matches from 290 appearances at an astounding strike rate of 149.51. Along with 18 centuries, he has also struck a staggering 743 sixes and 74.8 per cent of his T20 runs have come in boundaries.
Gayle’s closest rival New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum has scored 7,596 runs while Brad Hodge of Australia is third with a total of 7,338.
Having established himself as a power hitter, Gayle has been in high demand in slam bang cricket throughout his career and has figured for 18 different franchises across the globe. Some of the top teams along with the likes of RCB include Jamaica Tallawahs, Chittagong Vikings, Melbourne Renegades, Karachi Kings, Stanford Superstars, Sydney Thunder and Somerset.
Though the 37-year-old has scored heavily across all three formats, these astonishing stats clearly make him the top ‘Predator’ in T20 cricket.
What makes him so potent? Is it the height or being southpaw? Well, both these elements are debatable when we have seen the likes of the Tendulkars, AB de Villiers and the Kohlis being equally effective, if not destructive.
And who else can read him better than his IPL team captain Virat Kohli who described the Big West Indian as his ‘own boss.’
“It is completely up to him really. On how he wakes up and feels on the day. If he wants to boss around, he just goes around and smashes sixes,” said Kohli from the generation next who has grown watching the Caribbean superstar evolve.
Certainly, there has to be an extraordinary technique behind Gayle’s aggressive batting but what makes him standout from the rest is his carefree but calm demeanour: self-destructive nature but with an astute cricket brain. Gulf News takes a look at the five factors which makes him such an awesome proposition:
Colossal and authoritative
A lot has to do with his physique. Gayle’s tall and chiselled framework has given him a tremendous upperhand. All credit to his intense workout
regime over the years. He has revealed in the past that he spends a lot of time in the gym. His diet mainly comprises carbs with plenty of appetite for pasta. A well-developed muscle mass helps him generate tremendous power and intensity to hit those towering sixes.
And all those calypso jigs you see from him on the field can be credited to the cardio-dance workout. Dance keeps him in good mood, takes the pressure off him and provides agility as per his version.
Batting stance, calm approach
While we have seen most batsmen in T20 getting fidgety at the crease to unsettle the bowlers, Gayle prefers to stay still and relaxed. He bats deep in the crease and his head and bat remain still. He has a nice backlift in the direction of second slip. Being tall allows him to take a good wide stance and this allows him to get the perfect arc, if the ball is pitched anywhere close to his zone. The strong forearm helps him strike the ball with brute force. With very little footwork, any batsmen would struggle but not Gayle, for he is blessed with terrific hand-eye coordination.
Calypso cricket
The see-ball, hit-ball contests are very popular in the bylanes and beaches of the Caribbean Islands. He has grown up playing that in Jamaica. All you do in these matches is try and score as many runs as possible at a brisk pace. It is here where you learn to pick the line and length quickly and become street-smart when it comes to spotting the slower balls and other variations. Maybe, that’s one of the reasons why run-scoring comes so naturally to Gayle and why he is so brutal and destructive.
Whatever maybe the case, Gayle carries on the legacy of the glory days of the West Indian cricket from Sir Gary Sobers to Viv Richards and Brian Lara.
Modern day bat
Before 2011, Gayle scored just one century but by 2015 he had scored 15 T20 hundreds, when no other batsman scored more than five hundreds. Certainly, some credit can be given to the bat manufacturer Spartan with whom he joined hands in 2012. The Spartan CG bat, weighing around 3 pounds, and is tailor-made to suit Gayle’s aggressive batting. The thick edge, massive sweet spot coupled with a strong bottomhand grip and a long handle has given Gayle the luxury to throw the kitchen sink. Certainly, one has seen a steep improvement after the switch as one of his knocks also included 175 runs in a single innings for RCB against Pune Warriors in IPL.
Entertainer image
What encourages Gayle to come up with those stunning exploits is his strong will to keep his stardom in tact. He is well aware his job is still the same — not prod around the crease. He knows people still come to watch him only for the carnage and fear he creates among the bowlers. Understands, he needs to show his wrath by going after the attack from ball one and is only picked with a license to do so.
On Tuesday, he revealed that he still enjoys the ‘Universal Boss’ tag and acknowledged that ‘People still look out for Chris Gayle.’ Assured he is there to entertain for as long as possible and more importantly felt determined and willing to “keep learning.”
