Christopher Henry "Chris" Gayle (born 21 September 1979) is a Jamaican Cricketer who plays international cricket for the West Indies. He captained the West Indies' Test side from 2007 to 2010. He plays domestic cricket for Jamaica, and also represents the Royal Challangers Bangalore in the Indian Priemere League, the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League and the Dhaka Gladiators in the Bangladesh primeire League. He has also represented Worcheis, the Western Warriors, Barsial Burners and the Kolkatta Knight Riders in his career. He was also selected for team Uva Next for the inaugural Sri Lanka Premier League in 2012.
He is one of only four players who have scored two triple centuries at Test level: 317 against South africa in 2005, and 333 against Sri lanka in 2010. He is known as a big hitter, often hitting sixes, including in 2012 the first ever off the first ball of a Test match. He holds the record for fastest century across any format in 30 balls and highest individual score (175*) in an innings in T20 cricket. Gayle is popularly being hailed as the most aggressive batsman ever in the T20 format of cricket. At the launch of the Carribean Primiere league he was announced as the first franchise player for the league.
Gayle started his cricket career with the famous Lucas Cricket Club in Kingston Jamaica Gayle claimed "If it was not for Lucas I don't know where I would be today. Maybe on the streets." Lucas Cricket Club's nursery has been named in honour of Gayle.
Gayle played for the West Indies at youth international level prior to making his First Class debut aged 19 for Jamaica. He played his first One day International eleven months later, and his first Test Match six months after that. Gayle, who normally opens the innings when he plays for the West Indies, is a destructive batsman who is most effective playing square of the wicket. In July 2001, Gayle (175), together with Daren Ganga (89) established the record for opening partnerships at Queens Club, Bulawayo when they put on 214 together against Zimbabwe.
However, generally speaking he had a slow start to his international career, but invigorated it in 2002, ending the year with three centuries against India in November and becoming the third West Indian to score 1,000 runs in a calendar year, along with Vivian Richards and Brian Lara. He is one of only six players One Day International history to have three or more scores of 150. In 2005, Gayle was dropped for the first Test against South Africa along with six other players following a dispute over sponsorship issues (see below). He returned for the second test but had a poor series until the fourth Test, where he made a match-saving 317. It was the first ever triple century against South Africa and up until Mahela Jaywardene made 374, it was the highest individual Test score against them.
In August 2005, Gayle joined Worchteshire for the rest of the English season, playing eight matches. He made two half-centuries in three first class matches and two half-centuries in five one-day matches, and won one Man of the Match award in the one-day National League. However, Worcestershire were relegated after Gayle made 1 in the final match against Lancashire. Gayle was named Player of the 2006 Champions Trophy, where the West Indies nearly defended the title they won in 2004, being defeated in the final by Austrailia. Gayle scored three centuries and totaled 474 runs, 150 more than any other batsman, and also took eight wickets in as many matches. Gayle, in keeping with the rest of the West Indies team, had a poor World Cup in 2007. He recorded a series of low scores; the one exception being a blistering 79 off 58 balls against England in the West Indies' final match.
On 17 December 2009 in the Australia v West Indies 3rd Test Chris Gayle scored the fifth fastest century in Test match history. He reached the century in just 70 balls. However he was shortly after dismissed for 102 runs. This feat included a flurry of runs thanks to some big hitting sixes. One of the sixes hit the Lillee Marsh stand's roof in a monstrous hit that was estimated by commentator, Ian Healy, to be approx 140 metres long. On 16 November 2010, he became the fourth cricketer to score two triple centuries in Test cricket after Donald Bradman, Brian Lara and Virendra Sehwag
In 2012 during the First Test Against Banladesh in Dhaka, Gayle became the first player to hit a six off the first ball in a Test cricket match.
He is one of only four players who have scored two triple centuries at Test level: 317 against South africa in 2005, and 333 against Sri lanka in 2010. He is known as a big hitter, often hitting sixes, including in 2012 the first ever off the first ball of a Test match. He holds the record for fastest century across any format in 30 balls and highest individual score (175*) in an innings in T20 cricket. Gayle is popularly being hailed as the most aggressive batsman ever in the T20 format of cricket. At the launch of the Carribean Primiere league he was announced as the first franchise player for the league.
Gayle started his cricket career with the famous Lucas Cricket Club in Kingston Jamaica Gayle claimed "If it was not for Lucas I don't know where I would be today. Maybe on the streets." Lucas Cricket Club's nursery has been named in honour of Gayle.
Gayle played for the West Indies at youth international level prior to making his First Class debut aged 19 for Jamaica. He played his first One day International eleven months later, and his first Test Match six months after that. Gayle, who normally opens the innings when he plays for the West Indies, is a destructive batsman who is most effective playing square of the wicket. In July 2001, Gayle (175), together with Daren Ganga (89) established the record for opening partnerships at Queens Club, Bulawayo when they put on 214 together against Zimbabwe.
However, generally speaking he had a slow start to his international career, but invigorated it in 2002, ending the year with three centuries against India in November and becoming the third West Indian to score 1,000 runs in a calendar year, along with Vivian Richards and Brian Lara. He is one of only six players One Day International history to have three or more scores of 150. In 2005, Gayle was dropped for the first Test against South Africa along with six other players following a dispute over sponsorship issues (see below). He returned for the second test but had a poor series until the fourth Test, where he made a match-saving 317. It was the first ever triple century against South Africa and up until Mahela Jaywardene made 374, it was the highest individual Test score against them.
In August 2005, Gayle joined Worchteshire for the rest of the English season, playing eight matches. He made two half-centuries in three first class matches and two half-centuries in five one-day matches, and won one Man of the Match award in the one-day National League. However, Worcestershire were relegated after Gayle made 1 in the final match against Lancashire. Gayle was named Player of the 2006 Champions Trophy, where the West Indies nearly defended the title they won in 2004, being defeated in the final by Austrailia. Gayle scored three centuries and totaled 474 runs, 150 more than any other batsman, and also took eight wickets in as many matches. Gayle, in keeping with the rest of the West Indies team, had a poor World Cup in 2007. He recorded a series of low scores; the one exception being a blistering 79 off 58 balls against England in the West Indies' final match.
On 17 December 2009 in the Australia v West Indies 3rd Test Chris Gayle scored the fifth fastest century in Test match history. He reached the century in just 70 balls. However he was shortly after dismissed for 102 runs. This feat included a flurry of runs thanks to some big hitting sixes. One of the sixes hit the Lillee Marsh stand's roof in a monstrous hit that was estimated by commentator, Ian Healy, to be approx 140 metres long. On 16 November 2010, he became the fourth cricketer to score two triple centuries in Test cricket after Donald Bradman, Brian Lara and Virendra Sehwag
In 2012 during the First Test Against Banladesh in Dhaka, Gayle became the first player to hit a six off the first ball in a Test cricket match.
List of Twenty20 centuries
Chris Gayle holds the record for most centuries in Twenty20 cricket (11). Here is the list of all his Twenty20 hundreds.| Chris Gayle – Centuries in Twenty20 cricket | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | For | Against | Venue | Date |
| 1 | 103* | 55 | 10 | 7 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Kolkata Knight Riders | Kolkata | 22 Apr 2011 |
| 2 | 107 | 49 | 10 | 9 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Kings XI Punjab | Bangalore | 6 May 2011 |
| 3 | 109* | 59 | 7 | 8 | Matabeleland Tuskers | Mid West Rhinos | Harare | 29 Nov 2011 |
| 4 | 100* | 54 | 3 | 11 | Sydney Thunder | Adelaide Strikers | Sydney | 23 Dec 2011 |
| 5 | 101* | 44 | 7 | 10 | Barisal Burners | Sylhet Royals | Dhaka | 10 Feb 2012 |
| 6 | 116 | 61 | 6 | 11 | Barisal Burners | Dhaka Gladiators | Dhaka | 14 Feb 2012 |
| 7 | 128* | 62 | 7 | 13 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Delhi Daredevils | Delhi | 17 May 2012 |
| 8 | 122* | 61 | 5 | 12 | Jamaica | Guyana | Gros Islet | 19 Jan 2013 |
| 9 | 114 | 51 | 5 | 12 | Dhaka Gladiators | Sylhet Royals | Dhaka | 15 Feb 2013 |
| 10 | 175* | 66 | 13 | 17 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Pune Warriors India | Bangalore | 23 April 2013 |
