JOIN US'There's no substitute for hard work'
Christopher Henry Gayle, the name is enough to give any bowler sleepless nights right now. After his tremendous 175 not out during the match against the Pune Warriors India, the cricketer went from being just a ‘Gayle Storm’ to a man to watch out for.
In fact, just a day after the much-talked about match, his teammate Muttiah Muralitharan candidly admitted that he is happy they are on the same team as he was scared to bowl to Chris Gayle. But the man himself couldn’t be calmer.
By just lifting his hand, he can send the crowd into a tizzy. No matter, which team one is supporting, Chris Gayle has managed to steal their hearts. And not much has changed for him personally after the match. He still has that infectious smile, the sense of humour and of course, the ‘Gangnam Style’ that one can’t get enough of.
“The IPL is all about entertaining people and that’s what I want to give the spectators every time I am on the field,” Chris tells Metrolife. And the crowd’s loud cheers are what encourage Chris even more. “When I see the crowd enjoying themselves, I also enjoy being on the field. Nothing matters more than putting a smile on my fans’ faces,” he adds.
But has Chris ever been scared of facing any bowler? “I don’t want to answer that,” he laughs and adds, “Every bowler is different and a lot depends on the pitch as well. So you can never say.”
One of the best things about this Royal Challengers Bangalore opener is that he makes every thing look so easy on the field. “Many feel I make it look so easy. But there’s no substitute for hard work. A bit of talent is obviously a plus point, but there’s a strong reason why they say ‘practice makes a man perfect’. Also, having played over 10 years of international cricket has helped me accumulate a lot of experience, which certainly comes in handy,” he adds.
One wonders whether Chris was happy with his 175 or did he crave to reach a double century that evening? “I honestly feel that I could have gone for a double century. But all said and done, I'll gladly settle for 175 not out,” he says. So when will one get to see the magic repeat on field? “When it rains next in Bangalore,” he sums up.