Will a Gaylestorm blow at the 2021 T20 World Cup?

By Abhishek Sarda

WHEN 41-year-old Christopher Henry Gayle declined to take part in CPL 2020 not for the first time many were quick to write off the Universe Boss.
Yes, he had the IPL deal with Kings XI Punjab but he was seen as a bit part player who would struggle to make the final XI. When he failed to feature in the opening games this only served to confirm the doubts of the naysayers.
KXIP went on to lose six of their opening seven matches and although they were not as bad as the results showed they lacked a spark to push results in their favour.

Enter the Universe Boss:
Chris Gayle was selected in KXIP’s 8th match against RCB and responded by scoring a half-century in the run chase of 177 hitting five huge sixes. KXIP went on to have a five-match winning streak before two consecutive losses eliminated them from the playoffs.
By tournament end, Chris Gayle had impressed all, yet again, scoring 288 runs at an average of 41.14 and strike rate of 137.14. His presence and experience helped a relatively younger KXIP side to turn the tides.

In the process of the tournament he also reached the milestone of 1 000 T20 sixes. Once more the Universe Boss had shown he is at his most dangerous when he has a point to prove.
What impressed more than his runs was his fitness and hunger for runs. He was as usual at his best while hitting boundaries but he was also taking quick singles and was pushing for couples. Even in the field he appeared more spritely than usual.
He talked about maintaining his fitness in post-match presentations and his frustrations after getting out on 99 spoke of his overall desire. All of these are a very good omen for West Indies Cricket as they prepare for the T20 World Cup in 2021.

The tournament will be hosted in India where smaller boundaries and batting-friendly wickets can be expected more often than not. Chris Gayle’s good record while playing IPL 2019 in India, where he scored 490 runs at an average of 40.83 and strike rate of 153.60, bodes well if he selected.
Although Gayle has only featured for West Indies in five T20Is since January 2018, with the last in March 2019 against England, the success or lack thereof of the 10 other West Indian players tried at the top of the order in T20Is since Janiary 2018 suggests Gayle cannot be overlooked.

Given Chris Gayle’s form in IPL 2019 and 2020, the premier T20 competition, it makes it hard to argue that he wouldn’t be in a World Cup squad vying with Evin Lewis and Lendl Simmons.
His experience of playing in numerous T20 World Cups also works in Gayle’s favour with him featuring in all six editions held so far. His calming presence and his globe-trotting experience alongside that of T20 captain Kieron Pollard is invaluable.

With West Indies locking horns with New Zealand in three T20Is, the series will likely see Andre Fletcher and Brandon King as the openers. It represents an opportunity for those on the fringes to stake a claim, but given Gayle’s form it will take exceptional performances to look past him.
Perhaps the final word should be left to Gayle himself. When quizzed as to his future plans by KXIP team-mate Mandeep Singh he answered in a quintessential Gayle way.

(Caribbean Cricket)