Gayle storm rocks Bangalore with fastest century, highest score in IPL


Bangalore, Apr 23 (IANS): After a spell of summer showers, it rained sixes and fours at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium here Tuesday evening under a cloudy sky as Royal Challengers Bangalore's explosive opener Chris Gayle scored the Indian Premier League's fastest century in 30 balls and highest score of 175 in 66 balls against Pune Warriors India.

Put in to bat first, the West Indian southpaw lost no time in setting the stands on fire with his blitzkrieg knock that included a record 17 sixes and 13 fours and remained unbeaten after being at the crease for all the 20 stipulated overs.

Returning to bat after a 30-minute break when a sudden downpour disrupted the game, Gayle raced to 50 in 17 balls with four mighty sixes and four 4s and to 100 in 30 balls with 11 sixes and eight boundaries.

Feared as the most dangerous batsman in the tournament, the Jamaican beat Indian all-rounder Yusuf Pathan's record of scoring a century in 37 balls while playing for Rajasthan Royals against Mumbai Indians in Mumbai March 14, 2010 and equalled the half-century record of Aussie wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist, scored against Delhi Daredevils in 2009 while captaining Deccan Chargers.

Pathan currently plays for Kolkata Knight Riders, while Gilchrist captains Kings XI Punjab.

Not content with setting new IPL records galore or upsetting previous ones, including the fastest 150 in 53 balls, beating the 158-run in 73 balls record of Brendon McCullum of KKR against the home team in the tournament's inaugural match in Bangalore April 2, 2008, Gayle was involved in a record opening partnership of 167 runs in 13.4 overs with opening partner Tillakaratne Dilshan of Sri Lanka, who hit a modest 33 in 36 balls, including five hits to the fence.

At a phenomenal strike rate of 266.15 percent, another IPL record, Gayle stood rock-like at one end even as the hosts lost five wickets for a record 263 runs, beating the previous 246-run record of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) against RR in 2010.

None of Pune's seven bowlers could stop the lanky hitter from going hammer and tongs after them. Warriors captain Aaron Finch, who won the toss and elected to bowl on a flat batting wicket, had given up changing bowlers after every over as Gayle was unstoppable and the fielders could do little as most of the runs from his deadly bat were coming from sixes and fours.

"What a joy watching Gayle play! It was indeed a storm after rain gods opened up on a mid-summer evening. I lost count of sixes and fours he was hitting in every over he faced. He has set a benchmark for other openers and batsmen on how to play in the shorter-version of the game," beaming Ranjan Chakravarty, a director in a financial firm, told IANS in the pavilion.

Surprisingly, Finch did not ask reputed all-rounder Yuvraj Singh to bowl even a single over while Gayle took all the bowlers to the cleaners and stunned a clueless Warriors and reducing the tie to a one-sided contest.

"As this is the last league tie RCB is playing this month before going for (six) away games over the next fortnight, I took a half-day leave to come and watch Gayle play after I heard the home team will bat first. What an innings it was. Incredible! Never in my life have I seen such an awesome batting display, with a whopping 17 sixes. God knows, what he eats and where does he get that energy," hotelier Rashid Khan quipped.

  

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Comment on this article

  • Vincent Rodrigues, Katapadi/Bangalore

    Wed, Apr 24 2013

    Mr.Gayle is a tailor made cricket player for the shortter version of cricket matches like IPL.He is really saviour to RCB,dependable and reliable in any contingencies.Loss to KKR and gain to RCB.He is the only player who can single handedly can lead the team to victory.Thanq so much Gayle for you wonderful entertaining and class performences and we wish you everything great in the remaining matces as well.

    DisAgree Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • Ahmed, Mangalore

    Wed, Apr 24 2013

    One of the placard of spectator wrote "When Gayle is in action, fielders become spectators and spectators become fielders" very true. what an astonishing game by GAYLE!
    Another placard said: "Welcome to Ben-Gayle-uru"

    DisAgree Agree [15] Reply Report Abuse

  • avani, mlore

    Wed, Apr 24 2013

    You forgot to mention! He also bowled one over in the end and took 2 wickets too. Every time he took wicket he danced in Gangnam style. Total entertainer! And before the last ball he signalled the batsman he will end him (showing as if cutting the throat, but laughing along with) and when the batsman scored a single of that ball he laughed and hugged the batsman. I like his attitude too.

    DisAgree Agree [17] Reply Report Abuse

  • Umesh K Salian, Uppala / Dubai

    Wed, Apr 24 2013

    What a game of cricket.. it was a treat to watch the way Chris Henry
    was Hammering .. Bangaluru fans was trully on thier towes

    keep the spirit high long live cricket..

    DisAgree Agree [13] Reply Report Abuse

  • SHIVARAJ, MUSCAT/ SULLIA

    Wed, Apr 24 2013

    Excellent stuff from Christopher Henry Gayle... if this type of performance continues sure RCB will win IPL 2013...Hope it will.

    DisAgree Agree [13] Reply Report Abuse

  • Valerian Dsouza, Udupi/Mumbai

    Wed, Apr 24 2013

    Excellent game by opener Chris Gayle, for Royal Challengers of Bangalore.
    Thoroughly entertaining.
    Sporting spirit in us will surely
    compliment such a great sportsman.

    DisAgree Agree [11] Reply Report Abuse

  • jay, mangalore /kuwait

    Wed, Apr 24 2013

    Fantastic report in appreciation of a fantastic cricketer - "After a spell of summer showers, it rained sixes and fours at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium here Tuesday evening under a cloudy sky as Royal Challengers Bangalore's explosive opener Chris Gayle scored ..............."
    By the way.... what happened to the PW bowlers next ????????

    DisAgree Agree [11] Reply Report Abuse

  • CYRIL MASCARENHAS, KIREM/MIRA ROAD/BOMBAY

    Wed, Apr 24 2013

    NO DOUBT GAYLE IS SUPER STAR.HE MADE EVERYBODY SURPRISE..WELL PLAYED. I NEVER SEEN BEFORE ANYBODY PLAYED IN THIS WAY...

    DisAgree Agree [20] Reply Report Abuse

  • jagdish, Mumbai, UAE

    Wed, Apr 24 2013

    Dear Roshan, Everyone can't hit even on flat tracks, using heavy bat and ordinary bowelers.. talent is required.. need to appreciate

    DisAgree Agree [47] Reply Report Abuse

  • Roshan Braganza, Mumbai

    Tue, Apr 23 2013

    It was very Entertaining . But it was about brutal power rather than skilled cricket shots. Heavy bat , flat tracks , cricket slowly turning into Baseball game. Very sad.

    DisAgree [56] Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • Dinesh Poojary, Kundapura/Bengaluru

    Wed, Apr 24 2013

    may be you are a supporter of pune team. With brutal power only a bowler bowls at 150-160 km/h. both skill and power are required to send a ball beyond boundary line.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [54] Reply Report Abuse

  • Suresh Pai, Udupi / Bahrain

    Wed, Apr 24 2013

    Hey man, be a gentleman and have sportsman spirit, instead of jealousy and commenting like this. You need to appreciate the energy, skills, talents of Gayle, the World Record holder. Every IPL,if you can notice, highest numbers of sixes were hit by Gayle, Highest Run Scorer is Gayle, what else you need to know about his batting. Do not simply make useless comments.

    DisAgree Agree [23] Reply Report Abuse


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Title: Gayle storm rocks Bangalore with fastest century, highest score in IPL



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