Abu Dhabi T10: Watch - Chris Gayle Smashes 84* Off Just 22 Deliveries
Chris Gayle. Image Credits: T10 League/Twitter.

The ‘Gaylestorm’ arrived in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday as Chris Gayle harrumphed 84* runs from 22 balls in the ongoing Abu Dhabi T10 League. Team Abu Dhabi was set a target of 98 runs by the Maratha Arabians; Gayle made a mockery of a decent enough target by completing the chase in 5.3 overs.

The left-hander played out a couple of dot balls at the start of his innings – that’s it, he wouldn’t play any dot ball in his next 20 balls. Indeed, Chris Gayle, of those last 20 balls, smashed 6 fours and 9 sixes! 78 out of 84 runs from Gayle came off fours and sixes – taking the ‘binary batting’ to almost literal terms.

Chris Gayle
Chris Gayle. Credit: CPL

After the two dot balls, Gayle, 41, scored three consecutive boundaries and then capped off the over with a maximum. It was just a trailer of the assault Gayle was going to unleash on the Arabians’ bowlers.

The southpaw smacked three more consecutive sixes in the next over. In the next over, bowled by Mosaddek Hossain, despite losing his batting partner, Paul Stirling, the West Indian continued to score runs, striking alternate fours and sixes in the last 4 balls of the off-spinner – Enroute he brought up his fifty off 12 balls equalling Mohammad Shahzad’s record from three years ago in the same competition.

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Chris Gayle finished the chase with a one-handed six

Two more sixes in the 4th over, a boundary in the 5th, before Chris Gayle finished the chase with a one-handed maximum midway of the 6th over.

This is not to forget that Gayle was coming off the scores 4,5,9,2 in the first 4 innings he played in the tournament. The destructive opener later thanked former Sri Lankan legend, Kumar Sangakkara, who is the mentor of Team Abu Dhabi, for giving Gayle some pep talk before he came out to bat.

KXIP, Wasim Jaffer, KL Rahul, RCB, KXIP
Chris Gayle and KL Rahul [Photo-Twitter]
Team Abu Dhabi has won two of their 5 matches played and will meet the Bangla Tigers in their last league match. Luke Wright’s team sits at the fourth position in the points table and would want to confirm a playoff berth with a victory in their last league stage match.

As for Chris Gayle, after the T10 League, the Universe Boss will be seen in action during the IPL 2021 for Kings XI Punjab – it remains to be seen whether he will open or bat at number 3 for KL Rahul’s side as he did last season.

Watch Chris Gayle’s 84 off 22 balls:

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