Kolkata: Having missed the first season of IPL, West Indies captain Chris Gayle is making the most of his second one with the Kolkata Knight Riders before he leaves for national duty. Not only did he play a crucial role in his team's lone win so far (under Duckworth-Lewis method against Kings XI Punjab), the KKR supremo Shah Rukh Khan feels that his hearty, Caribbean laughter inspires the whole team.
Speaking from Cape Town's Cullinan Hotel, Gayle spoke on a range of subjects - including his declining captaincy for KKR - with Gulf News. Following are the excerpts;
GULF NEWS: Shah Rukh Khan believes you are one of the front-runners to become the player of the tournament.
Chris Gayle: Ha ha! He loves me. The problem is, I will not play all the matches in the second edition of the tournament. Chances will be brighter for them who would play all the matches. We have already played two matches and we did not do that well.
Didn't you receive the Man of the Match award in the second match?
True, a win is a win. We had a good opportunity to win outright if we would have got the opportunity to bat for 20 overs. But one thing is sure, this win has given us lot of confidence.
Is it true that John Buchanan offered you to become the captain of the Knight Riders?
Yes, I was offered. But I did not consider it for the following reasons - one, I will not play all the matches. Two, this is my first IPL, I wanted to play my first IPL seriously. I did not gel well with my teammates. I did not know much about the opposition teams.
People are saying captaincy issue has struck Knight Riders camp.
I don't think so. I spent very little time last year. I find almost the same boys are playing and it's a family. The atmosphere is really good.
Yet the general feeling is that the team would not do well.
Unfortunate. As I told you, there is only laughter in the dressing room after we won the second man. I am sure the atmosphere will improve the more we start winning more matches.
Would you have batted first after winning the toss against Deccan Chargers with the conditions heavy and the wicket having some grass?
We did not play well. This is not a one-man show. The whole unit wanted to bat first. There is no point in pointing fingers for this towards our captain McCullum.
You could have got two extra matches if you would have delayed your departure for about a week.
No that is not possible because I have to fly to England. We all now want to beat England at their backyard. We were all happy to beat them in West Indies. We have to repeat the same in England.
When can we see Knight Riders in the top gear?
Just wait, watch and support us. We are getting stronger everyday. The whole team is now raring to go after any opponent.
