Published 22:29 IST, October 30th 2020
Dream11 IPL 2020: Netizens hail Chris Gayle for his vicious onslaught against Rajasthan
Chris Gayle took the Rajasthan bowlers to the cleaners as he scored 99 from just 63 deliveries, which helped the Punjab side post a stiff total of 185.
Chris Gayle, 41, has carved a niche for himself as a T20 specialist with his age-defying knocks in the shortest format of the game. The turnaround that Punjab have managed to stage after the Jamaican's inclusion in the playing eleven is testimony to the southpaw's brilliance. Cricket pundits rate the batsman's accomplishments very highly, and rightly so, as he is showing no signs of slowing down with age. In a must-win contest against Rajasthan at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, Chris Gayle packed a punch yet again.
Punjab vs Rajasthan: Gaylestorm hits Abu Dhabi
After losing Mandeep Singh in the first over, it was imperative for the big man to fire with the team's fortunes depending on the contest. The left-hander paced his innings impeccably and kept the scoreboard ticking without taking risks initially. Along with skipper KL Rahul, Gayle orchestrated a stunning 120-run partnership.
The swashbuckling batsman raced to his third half-century of the season and his 31st overall. Gayle was dropped twice in the game. Riyan Parag failed to grab a miscued lofted shot from the batsman when he was at 10 and Rahul Tewatia made a similar mistake when he was on 50. The veteran West Indian made the Rajasthan bowling unit pay as he hammered them all around the park.
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Chris Gayle was nearing his 7th IPL century and was unbeaten on 92 in the final over of the innings. It was an exciting duel for the fans to witness as he was up against the fierce Jofra Archer. The batsman drew first blood as he sent Archer's third ball over the boundary ropes for a six.
The lanky speedster had the last laugh as he sent Gayle packing at 99 with an accurate yorker. A devastated Chris Gayle walked backed in agony after falling short of the coveted three-figure mark. Netizens hailed the 'Universe Boss' for his stellar performance despite missing a century.
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Chris Gayle stats: Chris Gayle IPL record
The left-hander has hit the most number of 6s in the league's history. With 346 maximums to his name, he is one of the most feared batsmen in the this format. With 1,001 sixes in the shortest format, he is also the first cricketer to cross 1,000 sixes. Interestingly, he is also the only batsman to have scored 99 twice in IPL history.
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Chris Gayle has amassed 4760 runs in 131 IPL matches. The West Indian icon has a staggering strike-rate of 150.63 to his name. He has been a vital cog in Punjab's batting unit in Dream11 IPL 2020 as well, and has raced to 276 runs in just 6 appearances.
Image: IPL Twitter
Updated 22:29 IST, October 30th 2020