BANGALORE, India (CMC) – Superstar opener Chris Gayle blasted his 14th Twenty20 century and became the first overseas player to eclipse 3 000 runs in the Indian Premier League, as Royal Challengers Bangalore crushed Kings XI Punjab by 138 runs here yesterday.The left-handed Gayle smashed 117 off a mere 57 deliveries to propel RCB up to a massive 226 for three off their 20 overs, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium Stadium. In reply, Kings XI slumped to 88 all out off 13.4 overs, undermined by new ball bowlers Mitchell Starc (4-15) and Sreenath Aravind (4-27), who finished with four wickets apiece.
Axar Patel top-scored with an unbeaten 40 from 21 deliveries, to be one of only two players in double figures but the only one to pass 15.
RCB lie third in the IPL standings on 11 points, behind leaders Chennai Super Kings and the second-placed Rajasthan Royals.
It was Gayle’s innings which took centre stage, however. The powerful West Indies and Jamaica batsman pummelled seven fours and 12 massive sixes as he tore into the hapless Kings XI attack.
He marched imperiously to his first fifty off 22 balls with four fours and five sixes before completing his second fifth off 24 deliveries.
Gayle has the most T20 centuries in international cricket.
After RCB were sent in, the 35-year-old engineered two excellent partnerships to power the hosts’ innings. He put on 119 for the first wicket with captain Virat Kohli who slammed 32 from 30 balls with three fours and a six, before adding a further 71 off just 34 deliveries with AB de Villiers.
The South Africa right-hander stroked an up tempo 47 from 24 balls with three fours and four sixes.
Ironically, Gayle managed just a single run from the first five balls he faced in the first over of the game from seamer Sandeep Sharma, with three deliveries whizzing past the outside edge.
However, he teed off against left-armer Mitchell Johnson in the next over, carting the Australian for two fours and two sixes in an over costing 20 runs.
He collared Sandeep in the bowler’s next over, the third of the innings which cost 24 runs, belting another two fours and two sixes.
Gayle cleared the ropes at mid-wicket with Johnson to move to 49 before reaching his half-century with a tickle to fine leg for a single, two balls later.
Dropped soon after on 53 on the square leg boundary off left-arm spinner Axar, Gayle continued his assault unfazed, with a pair of sixes off off-spinner George Maxwell’s second over and another two off Axar, as he stormed into the 80s.
He galloped into the 90s with a brace of sixes off leg-spinner Karanveer Singh’s first over which leaked 18 runs and reached three figures in the next over, the 14th of the innings, when he flicked Johnson to the square boundary.
Gayle eventually perished at the end of the 17th over, smashing a return catch back to Axar.