T20 Icons: Chris Gayle

Jamaican left-hander Chris Gayle was a devastating batsman who scored more than 10,000 ODI runs for the West Indies and played 103 Test matches with a highest score of 333.

However, the introduction of Twenty20 cricket turned Gayle into an international superstar and his phenomenal six-hitting made him a true icon of the format.

Two years after his retirement, Gayle remains the leading runscorer in T20 history and his record of 1,056 career sixes is likely to stand for many years to come.

Chris Gayle in Profile

Team	West Indies
Years active	2005 to 2022
Playing role	Left-handed opening batsman and right-arm off-spinner
Career innings	455
Career runs	14,562
Career centuries	22

*Stats refer to all T20 matches

Chris Gayle honours

Chris Gayle was a key part of the West Indies sides who won the 2012 and 2016 T20 World Cups. 

He scored 222 runs in six matches at the 2012 tournament, hitting 16 sixes, and made a stunning century from just 48 balls against England in Mumbai four years later.

The West Indian legend was a star attraction in T20 franchise leagues around the world, winning the Caribbean Premier League with the Jamaica Tallawahs in 2013 and 2016. 

Gayle is the only man, as of May 2024, to have scored a Test triple-century, an ODI double-century and a T20 international century.

In 2012 the self-proclaimed 'Universe Boss' recorded another unique achievement by hitting the first ball of a Test match against Bangladesh for six.  

Chris Gayle greatest matches

Both of Gayle's T20 international centuries came at World Cups and it did not take him long to make an impression at the inaugural tournament in 2007.

He smashed 117 from 57 balls in the opening game of the World Cup against hosts South Africa, picking up the player-of-the-match award despite an eight-wicket defeat for the West Indies.

Gayle's next World Cup ton helped the Windies crush England by six wickets at the Wankhede Stadium in March 2016 and his 11 sixes included three in a row off the bowling of spinner Moeen Ali.

The tall left-hander produced some stunning innings during his seven-year spell with IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore and the highlight was an unbeaten 175 from only 66 deliveries against Pune Warriors in 2013.

That mammoth effort remains the highest individual score in a T20 match and Gayle wrapped up RCB's victory by taking two wickets in the final over of the Pune innings.

He also holds the record for the highest score in a losing cause as he struck 151 not out off 62 in Somerset's three-run defeat to Kent in a T20 Blast match in 2015.  

Chris Gayle career statistics

Gayle finished his T20 professional career with 14,562 runs and his record tally of 22 centuries is unlikely to be threatened for a long time.

Only his former West Indies teammate Kieron Pollard (860) has come anywhere near Gayle's T20 career total of 1,056 sixes and he won the player-of-the-match award in 10 of his 79 T20 internationals.

Gayle reached 50 off only 12 balls for Melbourne Renegades against Adelaide Strikers in the 2015/16 Big Bash League and that record was only eclipsed in September 2023.

In December 2017, playing in a Bangladesh Premier League match, Gayle struck 18 sixes for Rangpur Raiders against Dhaka Dynamites – breaking his own record mark of 17.   

Quotes on Chris Gayle

I think he is up there with Sir Viv [Richards] in the way he tears apart attacks.

Former West Indies coach Phil Simmons

I have never seen hitting like that in all my life. To see our guys getting pummeled like that was unbelievable. When I walked out for the first strategy break, I just saw people scared, really scared.

Pune Warriors coach Allan Donald after Gayle's record-breaking innings of 175 not out

Every bowler in the world is scared to bowl to Chris, there’s no doubt about that.

Former RCB teammate Tillakaratne Dilshan

I'm the greatest batsman of all time.

Gayle's assessment of his status after hitting 18 sixes in a BPL innings in 2017