Chris Gayle

Lore & Background

Gayle played a crucial role in the West Indies teams that won the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy, 2012 ICC World Twenty20 and 2016 ICC World Twenty20. He is the most capped player for the West Indies in international cricket and is the only player to score a triplet of centuries – a triple hundred in Tests, double hundred in ODIs and a hundred in T20Is. He was the first player to score more than 14,000 runs and hit more than 1,000 sixes in T20 cricket. He is also the leading run scorer for West Indies in both ODIs and T20Is. Gayle was the first West Indian batsman to score a double-century in ODI cricket and subsequently in the history of World Cup cricket, where he scored an innings of 215 against Zimbabwe. He has the highest individual score in the T20 World Cup as a West Indian with his 117 runs against South Africa. In the ICC Champions Trophy, he has the highest score made by a West Indian with his innings of 133 not out against South Africa in the 2006 tournament. He was awarded the Most Valuable Player in the 2011 Indian Premier League and held the Orange Cap in 2012. On 23 April 2013, he broke the record for the fastest ever T20 hundred in his landmark knock of 175 runs from 66 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors India in the IPL, which is also the highest score ever by a batsman in T20 history. He also equaled the record for the fastest 50 in T20 cricket while playing for Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League.

In Their Own Story

The floodlights hummed. The pitch at the stadium was worn at the toe-end, and the crowd had been building a wall of noise for twenty overs. Gayle stood at the crease, bat resting on his shoulder, eyes scanning the bowler's run-up with a half-smile. The first ball came in short. He didn't even adjust his grip. The bat connected with a sound like a gunshot, and the ball arced high, lazy, almost mocking, before disappearing into the upper tier where a child's hand reached for it and missed. The Delhi end of the ground detonated. Gayle walked back down the pitch, chewing his gum, already thinking about the next ball. The bowler looked at his coach. The coach looked at the sky. Nobody said anything. You don't argue with the Universe Boss.

Reader's Guide

Gayle started his cricket career with Lucas Cricket Club in Kingston, Jamaica. He made his first-class debut in 1998 for Jamaica. He played his first One Day International in 1999 and his first Test match six months after that. He recorded his maiden Test century in July 2001, scoring 175 against Zimbabwe. In 2002, he ended the year with three centuries against India. In 2005, he made a match-saving 317 against South Africa, the first-ever triple century against South Africa. He underwent heart surgery following a series against Australia. He was named Player of the 2006 Champions Trophy. He made the first century in international Twenty20 cricket, scoring 117 against South Africa in the first match of the 2007 World Twenty20. In April 2008, he was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL auction. He played in the second IPL competition in early 2009. On 17 December 2009, he scored the then fifth-fastest century in Test match history. On 16 November 2010, he became the fourth cricketer to score two triple centuries in Test cricket. On his return to Test cricket in July 2012, he scored 150 against New Zealand. In November 2012, he became the first player in Test cricket to hit a six off the first ball of a match. In 2013, he surpassed Brian Lara's record of the most sixes in Test cricket by a West Indian. In February 2015, he became the first ever to score a double century in World Cup history, making 215 against Zimbabwe. He last played in a Test match in September 2014. He played his final ODI in August 2019 against India. In December 2020, he was included in the ICC T20I Team of the Decade. In September 2021, he was included in the West Indies squad for 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

Did You Know?

• Gayle is the only player to score a triplet of centuries – a triple hundred in Tests, double hundred in ODIs and a hundred in T20Is.
• He was the first player to score more than 14,000 runs and hit more than 1,000 sixes in T20 cricket.
• His innings of 215 against Zimbabwe is the highest individual score by a left-handed batsman in ODI cricket.
• He broke the record for the fastest ever T20 hundred in his landmark knock of 175 runs from 66 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL.