Gayle packed his 51-ball innings with 14 sixes and six fours, helping Rangpur hunt down 168 with 28 balls to spare. His 14 sixes is a new Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) record; Gayle bettered his own record of 12 sixes he had hit for Dhaka Gladiators in 2013.
The wait for a Chris Gayle special in this BPL season is finally over. The West Indian smashed 126 – the highest score in the BPL – to eliminate Khulna Titans and power Rangpur Riders into the second qualifier. This was the first hundred of the season, Gayle fourth in the BPL, and 19th overall in T20 cricket. Khulna, whose young guns have been impressive this season, wilted in face of the six-laden onslaught.
Gayle started with a brace of sixes but Jofra Archer removed Gazi and Brendon McCullum in the third over to leave Rangpur at 25 for 2. From thereon, it was the Gayle storm.
Gayle particular took a liking to Archer, taking him for 20 runs in the fifth over, including a straight six. Abu Jayed was also hit down the ground in the next over before Mohammad Irfan’s leg breaks were deposited for two sixes in the seventh over – the first of which brought up a fifty off 23 balls. Gayle did not spare his West Indies team-mate Brathwaite too as Rangpur surged towards the target.
He went onto bring up a 45-ball hundred when he worked Mahmudullah to deep mid-wicket for a single in the 14th over. He finished the chase when he slammed Shanto for back-to-back sixes in the 16th over. “I think it is called the Gayle storm. To be honest, he batted outstandingly. We didn’t bowl well up front, because we know about his power and capability,” Kulna captain Mahmudullah said.
