Chris Gayle after scoring a 30-ball century
When you look at a batting lineup that boasts of the likes of Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers, a score like 263 seems highly possible. Well, it was a record that the Royal Challengers Bangalore had scripted back in 2013. Four years hence, the same franchise, with these three stalwarts in the lineup, were folded for another record-breaking, but lowest-ever total of 49. Ironically, both happened on the same day, separated by four years.
On April 23, 2013, Gayle carved a brutal innings to tear apart record books as he scored the highest-ever T20 score of 175 which also included the fastest century in the format, off just 30 deliveries. Gayle's monstrous innings also comprised a record 17 sixes, which he later broke whilst an innings in BPL. His knock helped Royal Challengers Bangalore amass 263 for the loss of five wickets, also a record total. In reply, the hapless Pune Warriors were dismembered for 133 for 9 with Gayle picking the last two wickets.
Exactly four years later, in a clash of two batting heavy sides, RCB were folded for just 49 at the Eden Gardens. A sustained pace bowling from Kolkata Knight Riders, inspired by Nathan Coulter-Nile, helped the hosts script an 82-run victory. Gayle managed 7, Kohli suffered a golden duck and De Villiers scored only 8. None of the batters even managed a double-digit, making it the first-ever instance in T20 cricket, with Kedar Jadhav emerging as the highest run-getter with 9 runs.
Overall, it was the tenth smallest total in all T20s. And the 9.4 overs that they batted made it the second-shortest T20 innings.
