DESPITE narrowly missing out on selection for this season’s campaign, Windies star batsman Chris Gayle has no intentions of bringing down the curtain on his Indian Premier League (IPL) career.

Gayle, who was released by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) earlier this season, was not picked up by Kings XI Punjab until the third round of the draft and for the minimum price.
The 39-year-old, however, did turn out to be a bargain at that price as he had a big impact with the team only narrowly missing out on the playoffs. In 11 matches Gayle made 368 runs, which was only second to KL Rahul who had 659 in 14 appearances.

The batsman never made it to the final but believes his selection was crucial to the IPL even stating Kings XI had saved the competition by doing so. The batsman did register several eye-catching performances, particularly a 104-ball 63.

“Without a doubt! It was superb to be part of the IPL once more. It is the best tournament in the world. I played for a new franchise, the reception there was fantastic. We had a good start but we lost the momentum in the final stages. Hopefully, next year,” Gayle told the Mumbai Mirror.

“It was not a joke (saving IPL), I am serious. You have said IPL needs stars and you have answered the question. I have done so much for the IPL. You look back and see what I have done for the IPL. I had two centuries and won a trophy, still active and playing. You can still see what I have to offer to the game.

“I love to continue playing in India. This is where a lot of passion lies. There is some fuel in the tank.” (SportsMax)