MOHALI: Chris Gayle became the first batsman in the Indian Premier League to smash over 300 sixes as he hit a breezy 40 for his side Kings XI Punjab on Saturday.
The self-titled ´Universe Boss´ on Twitter, Gayle struck four sixes during his 24-ball blitz to set up a successful chase for Punjab who outplayed Mumbai Indians by eight wickets.
The big-hitting Gayle took his sixes count to 302 in 114 innings of the world´s most popular Twenty20 tournament that is into its 12th edition.
South Africa´s AB de Villiers is a distant second with 192 sixes in 131 IPL innings and Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni third with 187 hits over the fence.
Gayle hit two back-to-back sixes against New Zealand and Mumbai left-arm paceman Mitchell McClenaghan to achieve the smashing feat at Punjab´s Mohali ground.
Incidentally Punjab had snapped up the West Indian in the 2018 IPL auctions after he remained unsold in two rounds of bidding.
Gayle hit a match-winning 79 in his team´s opening game that was marred by the controversial ´Mankad´ dismissal of England batsman Jos Buttler by Punjab skipper Ravchandran Ashwin.
The 39-year-old Gayle has been a powerhouse performer for the Caribbean side and will play in his fifth World Cup in England and Wales, which starts on May 30.