IPL is the biggest T20 league in the world, says Chris Gayle

The self-proclaimed ‘Universe Boss’ had an Indian Premier League (IPL) to forget. The Caribbean maestro never quite found the rhythm in this year’s IPL. But Chris Gayle feels he has many things to prove. Critics bashed him for his ‘irresponsible’ style of play, but the global entertainer feels he just needs to find his natural flow back. The West Indian giant scored just 200 runs in the tenth installment of IPL.

What is more surprising to see is his strike rate. The monster who seldom scored runs below the strike rate of 150, maintained a strike rate as low as around 120 this season. Gayle is the attention-seeking commodity wherever he goes. From flirting with television presenter in live TV to openly bragging about his, er, skills, he is the magnet for the camera.

Like a boss

But he recently was seen unhappy (which is rare indeed) as he feels people are not giving him the credit that is due. “Most people don’t give me the credit I deserve, that’s unfortunate,” said the ‘massive’ Jamaican show-stopper, while speaking to men’s fashion brand Attitude.com. He is not a diplomat and not one who will mince his words. Hence when asked about whether their will ever be another Gayle or not, he retorted by saying “There is only one Chris Gayle,” says ‘Universe Boss’.

He did not stop here, and continued praising himself. He feels he may be recognized all over the world as a batsman tailor-made for T20 cricket, but he is a great test player too. “I am good at making adjustments as quickly as possible. I am good at brain-click—switch on, switch off—for different occasions. I always play the two formats very well—Tests and one-dayers. I always make the necessary adjustments with the red ball and the white ball. The experience has helped me in tackling all the three formats. It’s been fantastic to be dominant in all forms of the game. But I know what I have done and what my capabilities are if given a chance to play Test cricket again,” said Gayle.

He may praise his abilities as a test player, but he has no intentions of returning back to he national test side. He would rather leave that to the ‘youngsters’. But he is leaving no stone unturned to nail his place in Wets Indies’ ICC World Cup 2019. “I definitely want to play another World Cup. Is it 2019? I would really love to play another World Cup. That is going to be my push, that’s for sure,” said Gayle.

IPL is the best T20 league

Gayle also announced that Indian Premier League (IPL), is undoubtedly the best league in the world. He said “IPL is always going to be the biggest T20 league around the world. It is big business for all the franchises around the world.” But Gayle failed miserably in the ‘best’ T20 league this year. When asked about how to deal with failures, he said “You learn from them. In my view, we have to accept failures as well. You have to accept that nothing will go as smoothly as you perceive (as in life). After all, it’s a game. You cannot just come to the wicket and score a century or half-century in every single game.”

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) had a forgettable season this year, finishing at the bottom of the table. But like his skipper Virat Kohli, Gayle acknowledged the fans as well who came in numbers to make sure so seat is left empty at the M Chinnaswamy stadium. “I use the fans to motivate myself.  Remember, they spend a lot of money to come and watch the games. I use them as a guide to motivate myself and showcase my cricket for them.”

Gayle may have failed miserably this year, but when he gets going, he becomes unstoppable. With the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) indicating of a fresh auction next year with no-retention policy, Chris Gayle can very well be the most sought after player. After all, he is the ‘Universe Boss’.