Chris Gayle becomes first player to reach 1000 sixes mark in T20s

Cricketer Chris Gayle aka Universe Boss has scored about 13,500 runs in T20 cricket and 6,000 off them have just come of maximums. The Jamaican batsman reached the 1000 sixes mark when he slashed a loose ball by Karthik Tyagi during an IPL match against Rajasthan Royals in Abu Dhabi.

He played a fine 99 run innings missing out on his 23rd T20 century by one run when Jofra Archer somehow generated an inside edge that dragged into the stumps. Gayle threw his bat in anguish but in seconds calmed down only to shake hands with Jofra Archer acknowledging the pacer’s accuracy. 

Coming into IPL 2020 with 978 maximums under his belt, Chris Gayle, who has recorded at least 22 sixes in every season of the Indian Premier League, reached the mark only in his sixth game this year. He has hit 349 sixes in IPL alone and about 105 in T20 internationals.

Playing against Rajasthan Royals, Kings XI Punjab lost Mandeep Singh very soon but Singh’s departure meant Gayle waking down to the pitch. He started hitting from the very sixth ball, when he hit Varun Aaron for a boundary. Then came a partnership with KL Rahul where Chris Gayle mostly held the upper hand. Regular assaults at Rajasthan’s spinners and then took on Tyagi with huge blows. The Punjab skipper, who is also wears the orange cap played prudently, getting 46 runs off 41 balls before Ben Stokes dismissed him. Nicholas Pooran’s cameo of 22 runs came in handy for Punjab as they managed 185 runs in 20 overs. 

The stand out performer, without any doubt was Chris Gayle who hit eight maximums and four boundaries during his 63 ball stay. While going back to the dugout, the Universe Boss did place his helmet on the bat, his way of letting people know of his prowess.