Chris Gayle is a household name in the world of cricket; he plays for the West Indies Team but also features for some of the biggest international leagues for example the Big Bash, Bangladesh and the Indian Premier League. Gayle has set many records while playing international cricket; some of his major achievements include being listed among the only 4 players to make triple centuries in a test.
He is renowned as a big hitter; while playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in India, Gayle set the world ablaze by recording the fastest century on thirty balls and the highest score of 175 not out. He is a left-handed, all-rounder batsman known for his big sixes.
Career Beginning and Achievements
Gayle made his debut on the international stage for the West Indies against India aged 19, ten days before his 20th Birthday. This was in the year 1999; his Test debut followed swiftly in 2000 where they faced Zimbabwe. In this game, Gayle did not take the time to announce his arrival; he notched his first Test Ton with 175. Gayle’s career began when the West Indies were at a downward spiral; he produced a bright spark for them by notching up tons on a regular basis. One of his best moments was when the West Indies faced South Africa where he picked up a ton with a 79-ball hundred.
The year 2004 is not a good year to remember for Gayle; he performed dismally after he was exposed by Steve Harrison, who dismissed him four times in seven innings. He was then dropped from the squad in a test game against South Africa due to some sponsorship issues with the WICB. His fighting spirit was evident after he was restored back in line in the same series where he produced one of his best performances. He shaped a career-best of 317 runs against South Africa.
In the year 2006, he was awarded the best player on the Champions Trophy where he inspired his team by scoring 474 runs with 3 tons and bagging eight wickets only to lose to Australia in the final. After he had been made captain, he was influential as his side beat the mighty South Africans in 2007-08 at Port Elizabeth. He was made captain after Ramnaresh Sarwan suffered an injury but held on even after his return. He almost gave up his captaincy after a heavy loss but stayed strong to led his team to a Test series win over a strong England side to collect the Wisden Trophy.
His explosive game style led him to sign for Kolkata for $800,000 in 2008. The previous year saw him make a record of first international hundred in the T20 World Cup. He was the most feared batsman in the T20 circuit in 2011. In 2013, he made a knock of 175 not out, set the fastest century, set the highest score in a T20 match and also the most sixes in a single inning in the IPL. His latest highlight came when his team faced Zimbabwe in 2015 where he hammered them with a double century.
