Watch: Chris Gayle excites Kerala fans with big sixes off Sreesanth

Give Chris Gayle a bat and a stage, and the ‘Universe Boss’ knows exactly what to do.

The former West Indies star rolled back the years at Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday, entertaining Kerala Cricket League (KCL) fans with a barrage of sixes against his old friend and former India pacer S Sreesanth.

Gayle had arrived at the stadium to support Kochi Blue Tigers, the franchise he co-owns, after their thrilling victory over Thrissur Titans. As he was about to head into the gallery, he bumped into Sreesanth.

What followed was an impromptu reunion that quickly turned into a nostalgic cricketing spectacle.

The two shared a warm hug before walking back onto the field. With the crowd roaring, Gayle picked up the bat and Sreesanth took the ball, recreating a familiar batter-versus-bowler contest – years after their playing careers had taken them in different directions.

It did not take Gayle long to remind everyone of his extraordinary hitting ability.

Six after six sailed into the stands as the Jamaican entertained the packed stadium. In a handful of deliveries, the 333-jersey-donning former star produced four sixes and a boundary, offering fans a glimpse of the destructive batter who became one of T20 cricket’s biggest global icons.

The nostalgia continued when Gayle delighted his Malayali fans by imitating Sreesanth’s famous celebration and delivering the iconic Mohanlal dialogue, “Entha mone Dinesha”.

Asked for a final message to his fans, Gayle borrowed the famous Royal Challengers Bengaluru slogan and said: “Ee Sala Cup Namde.”

Speaking to reporters earlier in the day, Gayle said he was delighted to remain involved in cricket even after retiring from international and franchise cricket.

“Kerala and India have abundant talent, which is nothing new to me,” he said, underlining the importance of competitions such as the KCL in providing opportunities to emerging players.

“Kerala has good talent, and India has good talent. With leagues like KCL coming up across the country and around the world, new talents will emerge from everywhere,” Gayle said.

Gayle also sees a significant opportunity for the KCL to become a stepping stone towards the Indian Premier League.

“The IPL is the best and the biggest franchise cricket league in the world and Kerala Cricket League can open doors for players to the IPL. Having someone of my calibre as part of KCL is huge and I can share my views on how to build the league,” he said.