Ace batsman Chris Gayle of the Royal Challengers Bangalore was the cynosure of all eyes at a mall here on Wednesday evening. Many pushed one another, jostled for space on the stairs of the mall, tore clothes off and a few of them even fainted as they craved for a glimpse of the Jamaican batting machine.
The star cricketer and some of his team members were at the mall, a day after his swashbuckling knock of 175 not out against Pune Warriors on Tuesday.
And he did not disappoint. Fielding questions from the crowd who asked him how he felt about his innings, Gayle was humility personified when he said: “It is not only about me. This team has a lot of match winners. Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers are in form and our bowlers are good, too. I hope we can keep this unity intact.”
To the crowd’s delight, Gayle repeatedly thanked them for their love and affection. Twenty-one-year-old Manisha, who had come with her friends, said that it was a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” Her friend Ashita couldn’t agree more. “There are many cricket stars in India, but I don’t think anyone is as humble as Gayle,” she added.
As if this open adoration for Gayle wasn’t enough, he also enthralled the crowd with his “Gangnam style” jig. He was soon joined by teammates, Muttiah Muralitharan, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Rahul K L, Karun Nair and coach Ray Jennings and a somewhat reluctant Daniel Vettori.
The team did manage to do some shopping in the end, despite the surging starstruck crowd.
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