West Indies' explosive batsman and IPL great Chris Gayle is celebrating his 41st birthday today.
Popularly known in cricket world as the 'Universe Boss', explosive West Indies batsman Chris Gayle has turned 41 on Monday. Gayle is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous batsmen in the shortest format of the game, and currently holds the record for most runs in T20 cricket.
Gayle has represented 26 teams in T20 cricket, which include the West Indies, his domestic side Jamaica and the franchise sides from all around the world. Having played 404 T20 matches so far, Gayle is one of the only two batsmen (the other being Kieron Pollard) to cross 10,000-run mark in the shortest format of the game. He has scored 13,296 runs at an incredible strike-rate of 146.94. These include 22 centuries and 82 half-centuries.
The West Indian veteran cricketer is currently in the United Arab Emirates, where he is with Kings XI Punjab.
The swashbuckling batsman has been a key performer in IPL history. Gayle is currently the sixth-highest run-getter in the tournament, with 4,484 runs in 125 matches. As Gayle turns 41, let's take a look at five of his IPL records:
Highest individual score in IPL history:
Chris Gayle holds the record for the highest individual score in the history of the Indian Premier League. He slammed an unbeaten 175 off just 66 deliveries against the now-defunct Pune Warriors India in the 2013 edition of the tournament. He hit 17 sixes during the innings.
Most centuries in IPL history:
Chris Gayle has scored six centuries in the Indian Premier League so far, which is the highest by any batsman in the tournament's history. RCB captain Virat Kohli closely follows Gayle with five scores of over-100. The Windies batsman has scored centuries against Kolkata Knight Riders (2011), Kings XI Punjab (2011, 2015), Delhi Daredevils (2012), Pune Warriors India (2013) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (2018).
Consecutive Orange Cap Holder:
Chris Gayle has finished as the top run-scorer in an Indian Premier League season in two consecutive seasons - 2011 and 2012. He is the only player to achieve the feat so far. Gayle scored 608 runs in the 2011 season, and became the first player to breach the 700-run mark in an IPL edition in 2012.
Most sixes in IPL history:
Chris Gayle has hit an incredible 326 sixes in IPL history -- a record he is likely to hold for a long time. The second-highest six-hitter in the list is AB de Villiers, who has hit 212 maximums so far.
Fastest century in IPL:
Chris Gayle is also the record-holder for fastest century in IPL -- which is also a record for fastest in T20 cricket so far. He slammed a hundred off just 30 deliveries against Pune Warriors India, which is a world record.
