Chris Gayle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Chris Gayle

Gayle during 2019 Cricket World Cup
Personal information
Full name	Christopher Henry Gayle
Born	(1979-09-21) 21 September 1979 (age 45) Kingston, Jamaica
Nickname	Universe Boss, Gayle Force, Gayle Storm
Batting	Left-handed
Bowling	Right-arm off-break
Role	All-rounder
International information
National side	West Indies (1999–2021)
Test debut (cap 230)	16 March 2000 v Zimbabwe
Last Test	5 September 2014 v Bangladesh
ODI debut (cap 97)	11 September 1999 v India
Last ODI	14 August 2019 v India
ODI shirt no.	45
T20I debut (cap 6)	16 February 2006 v New Zealand
Last T20I	6 November 2021 v Australia
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1998/99–2018/19	Jamaica
2009–2010	Kolkata Knight Riders
2009/10–2010/11	Western Australia
2011–2017	Royal Challengers Bangalore
2011/12–2012/13	Sydney Thunder
2012–2022	Fortune Barishal
2013–2016, 2019	Jamaica Tallawahs
2015–2016	Somerset
2017–2018, 2021	St Kitts and Nevis Patriots
2017–2019	Rangpur Riders
2018–2021	Punjab Kings
2018–2019	Jozi Stars
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI T20I FC Matches 103 301 79 180 Runs scored 7,214 10,480 1,899 13,226 Batting average 42.18 37.83 27.92 44.83 100s/50s 15/37 25/54 2/14 32/64 Top score 333 215 117 333 Balls bowled 7,109 7,424 381 12,511 Wickets 73 167 20 132 Bowling average 42.73 35.48 22.00 39.34 5 wickets in innings 2 1 0 2 10 wickets in match 0 0 0 0 Best bowling 5/34 5/46 2/15 5/34 Catches/stumpings 96/– 124/– 20/– 158/–
Medal record Men's Cricket Representing  West Indies ICC Champions Trophy Winner 2004 England Runner-up 2006 India ICC Men's T20 World Cup Winner 2012 Sri Lanka Winner 2016 India
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 6 November 2021

Christopher Henry Gayle (born 21 September 1979) is a famous cricketer from Jamaica. He played for the West Indies from 1999 to 2021. Many people think Gayle is the best Twenty20 batsman ever. He helped the West Indies win the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy, 2012 ICC World Twenty20, and 2016 ICC World Twenty20.

Gayle holds many records in all three types of cricket games. He has played the most international matches for the West Indies. He is the only player to score a triple century in Test matches, a double century in One Day Internationals (ODIs), and a century in Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). He is also the only player with over 14,000 runs and 1,000 sixes in T20 cricket.

He is the top run-scorer for the West Indies in both ODIs and T20Is. After Brian Lara, he was the second West Indies player to score over 10,000 runs in ODIs. Gayle was the first West Indian to score a double-century in an ODI. This happened during the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup against Zimbabwe, where he scored 215 runs. This is still the highest score by a left-handed batsman in ODI history.

In the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, his score of 117 against South Africa is the highest by a West Indian. He also scored 133 not out against South Africa in the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy. Besides batting, Gayle has taken over 200 international wickets with his right-arm off-break bowling. He was named the Most Valuable Player in the 2011 Indian Premier League.

On 23 April 2013, Gayle set a record for the fastest T20 century. He scored 175 runs from just 66 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL. This is also the highest score ever in T20 cricket. He also tied the record for the fastest 50 in T20 cricket while playing for Melbourne Renegades.

Gayle scored over 7,000 runs in Test matches. He captained the West Indies Test team from 2007 to 2010. He played his last Test match in September 2014. He played his 301st and final ODI match in August 2019 against India. In December 2020, Gayle was named in the ICC T20I Team of the Decade. He was part of the West Indies squad for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

Early Cricket Days

Chris Gayle began his cricket journey at the Lucas Cricket Club in Kingston, Jamaica. He once said that if it wasn't for Lucas, he might have ended up on the streets. The club's training area is now named after him.

In 2009, Gayle became captain of the West Indies team for the ICC T20 World Cup. He scored a quick 88 runs in the first game, helping his team beat Australia. They reached the semi-finals but lost to Sri Lanka.

International Cricket Journey

Starting His Career

Gayle first played for the West Indies as a young player. He was the top scorer for his team at the 1998 Under-19 Cricket World Cup. He played his first major professional game in 1998 for Jamaica when he was 19. Eleven months later, in 1999, he played his first One Day International. Six months after that, he played his first Test match. Gayle quickly became known as a powerful batsman. In July 2001, he scored his first Test century, making 175 runs against Zimbabwe.

Rising to Stardom

An innings-by-innings breakdown of Gayle's Test match batting career up until 2008, showing runs scored (red bars) and the average of the last ten innings (blue line).

Gayle's international career started slowly, but he became much better in 2002. That year, he scored three centuries against India. He became the third West Indian player to score over 1,000 runs in one year. He is one of only six players in One Day International history to score 150 runs or more three or more times.

In 2005, Gayle was not chosen for the first Test against South Africa because of a disagreement. He returned for the second Test. In the fourth Test, he scored an amazing 317 runs, saving the match. This was the first triple century against South Africa. During another series, Gayle felt unwell and had to leave the field. Doctors found he had a heart issue, which was fixed with surgery.

In August 2005, Gayle played for Worcestershire in England. He scored two half-centuries in first-class matches and two in one-day games.

Gayle was named Player of the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy. The West Indies almost won the title again but lost to Australia in the final. Gayle scored three centuries and 474 runs, more than any other batsman. He also took eight wickets. In the 2007 Cricket World Cup, Gayle did not score many runs, except for a fast 79 runs against England.

Gayle scored the first century in international Twenty20 cricket. He made 117 runs against South Africa in the first match of the 2007 World Twenty20. This made him the first batsman to score a century in all three types of international cricket.

In April 2008, Kolkata Knight Riders bought Gayle for the Indian Premier League. He missed some games due to an injury. In the semi-final of the 2009 World Twenty20 against Sri Lanka, he became the first player to bat through the entire innings in a T20 International.

On 17 December 2009, Gayle scored the fifth-fastest century in Test history against Australia. He reached 100 runs in just 70 balls. On 16 November 2010, he became the fourth cricketer to score two triple centuries in Test cricket. The others were Donald Bradman, Brian Lara, and Virender Sehwag.

When he returned to Test cricket in July 2012, he scored 150 runs against New Zealand. In November 2012, Gayle became the first player in Test cricket history to hit a six off the very first ball of a match. In 2013, he hit more sixes in Test cricket than any other West Indian, passing Brian Lara's record.

Later Career Highlights

Gayle fielding against Australia during the 2019 Cricket World Cup

In February 2015, Gayle made history again. He became the fourth cricketer to score a double century in ODIs. He was also the first to do it in a World Cup game. He scored 215 runs against Zimbabwe in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup. His partnership with Marlon Samuels for 372 runs was the biggest in World Cup history. Gayle became the only player in the world to hit a triple hundred in Tests, a double hundred in ODIs, and a hundred in T20 Internationals.

Chris Gayle finished his List-A career for Jamaica with a century against Barbados in 2018. On 18 February 2019, Gayle said he would retire from ODIs after the 2019 Cricket World Cup. However, he changed his mind in June 2019.

In April 2019, he was chosen for the West Indies team for the 2019 Cricket World Cup. This was his fifth World Cup. On 31 May 2019, Gayle hit his 40th six in World Cup matches, breaking AB de Villiers's record. In the match against Australia, Gayle scored his 1,000th run in the Cricket World Cup. On 1 July 2019, Gayle played his 455th international match, becoming the most capped player for the West Indies.

Three days later, in the last match of the 2019 World Cup, Gayle played his 35th World Cup match. This made him the most-capped West Indies player in World Cup history. In the same match, he also equaled Brian Lara's record of 299 ODIs for the West Indies. In the next game against India, he played his 300th ODI, becoming the only West Indian to do so. He also broke Brian Lara's record for most runs for the West Indies in ODIs.

In November 2020, Gayle was nominated for the ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of the Decade award. In February 2021, he returned to the West Indies T20I team after two years. On 13 July 2021, he scored his first T20I half-century since 2016, making 67 runs against Australia. In September 2021, Gayle was named in the West Indies squad for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

Retirement from T20Is

On 6 November 2021, Gayle played his last T20I match against Australia. He has not officially retired from all international cricket, as he wanted to retire in front of his home fans in Jamaica.

Twenty20 Cricket Achievements

Chris Gayle has had an amazing career in Twenty20 cricket, playing for many teams around the world.

In 2011, Gayle joined the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the fourth season of the Indian Premier League. In his first game against his old team, he scored 102 runs off 55 balls. On 6 May 2011, he scored another century, 107 runs off 49 balls. In the next match, he scored 37 runs in one over! Gayle won the Orange Cap award for scoring the most runs in the tournament, with 608 runs in 12 matches. He was named Player of the Tournament.

Gayle also played for the Barisal Burners in the Bangladesh Premier League, where he scored two centuries. In the 2012 IPL season, Gayle hit the most sixes (59) and scored 733 runs in 14 matches.

On 23 April 2013, during an IPL match, Gayle broke many scoring records. He scored 175 not out off 66 balls, which is the highest individual score in a T20 match. He also reached his century in just 30 balls, the fastest ever in any form of cricket. He also hit the most sixes in a single IPL innings.

In 2015, Gayle played for Somerset in England. In just 3 games, he scored 328 runs, including 151 not out against Kent. This score, made from 62 balls with 15 sixes, is still the highest T20 score at the County Ground Taunton.

On 18 January 2016, Gayle set a new Big Bash League record for the fastest fifty. He reached 51 runs in just 12 balls, hitting seven sixes. This also tied the world record set by Yuvraj Singh.

On 18 April 2017, Gayle reached 10,000 runs in T20 cricket. He scored 77 runs off 38 balls in a match where Royal Challengers Bangalore won. On 16 September 2017, Gayle became the first player to hit 100 T20I sixes.

In January 2018, Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) bought Gayle in the IPL auction. On 19 April, Gayle scored 104 not out against Sunrisers Hyderabad, his 6th IPL century.

In May 2018, Gayle was named a top player for the first Global T20 Canada tournament. He also played for the Vancouver Knights. He was also an Icon Player for Balkh's team in the 2018–19 Afghanistan Premier League. In October 2020, he was chosen by the Kandy Tuskers for the 2020 Lanka Premier League.

On 17 May 2022, Gayle was added to the RCB Hall of Fame, along with AB de Villiers, for his great contributions to the team from 2011 to 2017. In 2022, Chris Gayle played for Gujarat Giants in the Legends League Cricket.

Twenty20 Centuries

Gayle holds the record for the most centuries in T20 cricket, with 21 centuries. Fifteen of his 21 T20 centuries were scored without him being out.

Playing Style

Gayle is famous for his powerful hitting, strong build, and excellent timing. He says his timing comes from being very thin when he was young and using a heavy bat. He looks very calm when the bowler runs in. Experts say he is tall and strong at the batting crease. He loves to hit the ball hard and can make even the best bowlers struggle.

He once explained his batting style: "It is instinct... When a fast bowler runs in to me, my breathing is controlled. I keep my head still and slow down my breathing. Sometimes I even hold my breath to be as still and balanced as possible."

Music Career

Chris Gayle started a music career in November 2020. He released a dancehall music video called "We Come Out To Party." In April 2021, Gayle released another music video called "Jamaica to India" with Indian rapper Emiway Bantai. In September 2021, he announced a song named 'Punjabi Daddy'.

Personal Life

Chris Gayle is in a relationship with Allysa Berridge. On 20 April 2016, Gayle announced on Instagram that his daughter was born. On 9 September 2016, Gayle released his autobiography titled Six Machine – I don't like cricket, I love it.

The Chris Gayle Academy

In 2015, Gayle created 'The Chris Gayle Academy'. Its goal is to help children in Jamaica and the United Kingdom. It aims to improve their lives and communities through sports. The academy has grown and now helps young cricketers by giving them access to good coaches and chances to play abroad.

International Centuries

Gayle walks back after being dismissed (2019)

Chris Gayle has scored 42 international centuries. This includes 15 in Tests, 25 in ODIs, and 2 in T20Is. He was the first cricketer to score centuries in all three types of international cricket games.

Cricket Records

International Records

• He is the highest run scorer for the West Indies in ODIs.
• He is the second West Indies player (after Brian Lara) to score over 10,000 runs in ODIs.
• He is the only batsman to score a triple century in Test cricket, a double century in ODI cricket, and a century in T20 Internationals.
• In the 2015 World Cup, he hit the fastest ODI double century, scoring 200 runs in 138 balls against Zimbabwe.
• He is one of only three batsmen to score a century against eleven different countries in ODIs.
• He holds the record for the fastest ODI fifty by a West Indies batsman (50 runs in 19 balls).
• He scored the most runs in a single ICC Champions Trophy series (474 runs).
• He is the only player to hit a six off the first ball of a Test match.
• With Marlon Samuels, he holds the record for the highest ODI partnership for any wicket (372 runs).
• With Devon Smith, he set the record for the highest opening partnership in ICC World T20 history (145 runs).

Domestic T20 Records

• He is the leading run scorer in all forms of T20 cricket.
• He was the first batsman to score 10,000 T20 runs.
• He is the fastest batsman to score 4,000 runs in the IPL.
• He is the first and only batsman to hit 300 sixes in the IPL.
• He holds the highest individual score in T20 with 175 not out (off 66 balls).
• He holds the highest score by a player in T20 in a losing cause (151 not out).
• He shares the record for the fastest T20 half-century, in 12 balls.
• He hit the most sixes in a T20 innings (18) during the 2017–18 Bangladesh Premier League.

T10 Records

• He shares the record for the fastest T10 Fifty in 12 Balls with Mohammad Shahzad and Waseem Muhammad in the Abu Dhabi T10 in 2021.

Awards and Honors

West Indies

• ICC Champions Trophy – 2004
• ICC World Twenty20 – 2012, 2016
• ICC ODI Team of the Year - 2004, 2009
• ICC T20I Team of the Decade - 2011-2020

Jamaica Tallawahs

• Caribbean Premier League – 2013, 2016

Rangpur Riders

• Bangladesh Premier League – 2017

Vancouver Knights

• Global T20 Canada – 2018

Balkh Legends

• Afghanistan Premier League – 2018

See also

In Spanish: Chris Gayle para niños