The greatest entertainer - Chris Gayle

Just when I started following and enjoying cricket, I was reminded of an innings played by the great Kapil Dev where he had scored 175 runs and I could not accept it and used to tell myself that it was just not possible. I was then a witness to single innings score of 400 by Brian Lara and I was shocked. The we had this 200 from our very own Sachin Tendulkar in an ODI and I thought that this was a record that was never going to be broken. But that was easily overhauled by Sehwag. But what has happened today is beyond imagination and I am sure no body would have believed it. 175 in a 20 over game by an individual with 17 sixes and 13 fours and in only 65 balls.

 

I am speechless and have no words to describe what has just happened. I cannot still believe that we have seen a 100 being scored in just 30 balls. I was just reading through an article on cricinfo and I think it describes the entire episode very aptly. Gayle smashed the fastest century in the format, brought off 30 balls; made the highest individual T20 score (175 not out); struck the most sixes by a batsman in a T20 innings (17); helped Royal Challengers Bangalore hit the most sixes for a team in a T20 innings (21) and reach the highest total in T20 cricket (263).

It was an exhibition to say the least and I consider Chris Gayle to be the greatest entertainer and one of the best ambassadors to the game of cricket. I have always been an ardent follower of this master mind and have loved the way he entertains the world with his craftsmanship and also the gangnam style dance that he does. I have already written a couple of posts about him, you can read them here and here. I was in office when history was being written so I could not witness it all live but the fact that it has actually happened has not yet sunk it.

 

I do not think there is more that needs to be said about this spectacle that the world has just witnessed. It is going to remain in the hearts of all the people who had witnessed one of the most destructive innings that the game of cricket has ever seen or will ever see (I keep my fingers crossed). Till we see another spectacle...