Chris Gayle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Chris Gayle

Gayle in 2011
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	Batting-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, 301
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 cricket player from Jamaica. He played international cricket for the West Indies from 1999 to 2021. People often call him "The Universe Boss" because he is known as one of the greatest Twenty20 batsmen ever. Chris Gayle helped the West Indies win important tournaments like the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy, the 2012 ICC World Twenty20, and the 2016 ICC World Twenty20.

He holds many amazing records in all three types of cricket games. He has played the most international matches for the West Indies. Chris Gayle is the only player to score a special "triplet of centuries." This means he hit a triple hundred in Test cricket, a double hundred in ODIs, and a hundred in T20Is. He is also the only player to score over 14,000 runs and hit more than 1,000 sixes in T20 cricket. He has scored the most runs 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 ODI cricket.

Gayle was the first West Indian to score a double-century in ODI cricket. He did this during a World Cup game, scoring 215 runs against Zimbabwe. This 215-run innings is still the highest score by a left-handed batsman in ODI cricket. He also holds the highest individual score for a West Indian in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup with 117 runs against South Africa. In the ICC Champions Trophy, his 133 not out against South Africa in 2006 is the highest score by a West Indian. Besides his powerful batting, he has also taken over 200 wickets with his right-arm off-break spin bowling.

In 2011, he was named the Most Valuable Player in the 2011 Indian Premier League. He also won the Orange Cap in 2012 for scoring the most runs. On 23 April 2013, he broke the record for the fastest T20 hundred. He scored 175 runs from just 66 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL. This is also the highest score ever by a batsman in T20 history. He also tied the record for the fastest 50 in T20 cricket while playing in the Big Bash League.

In Test cricket, Gayle scored over 7,000 runs. He also led the West Indies Test team as captain from 2007 to 2010. His last Test match was in September 2014 against Bangladesh. He first said he would retire from ODIs after the 2019 Cricket World Cup. However, he played in the ODI series against India after the World Cup. His 301st and final ODI match was in August 2019 against India, where he wore a special jersey number 301. In December 2020, Chris Gayle was chosen for the ICC T20I Team of the Decade. In September 2021, he was part of the West Indies team for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

Early Cricket Journey

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 ground for young players is now named in his honor.

He became the captain of the West Indies team for the ICC T20 World Cup in 2009. This happened after some people criticized him for playing in the IPL in 2008 and missing an international series. In the first game of the 2009 tournament, Gayle scored a quick 88 runs. This helped his team beat Australia. The West Indies team later lost in the semi-final to Sri Lanka.

International Career Highlights

Starting His International Games

Gayle first played at the international level as a young player. He was the top scorer for the West Indies 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 who hit the ball hard. In July 2001, he scored his first Test century, making 175 runs against Zimbabwe. He and Daren Ganga set a record by adding 214 runs together for the opening partnership.

Rising Through the Ranks

This graph shows Chris Gayle's Test match batting scores up to 2008. The red bars are runs scored, and the blue line is his average over the last ten games.

Gayle's international career started slowly, but he became much stronger in 2002. That year, he scored three centuries against India in November. He became the third West Indian player to score over 1,000 runs in a single year. Only Vivian Richards and Brian Lara had done this before him. He is one of only six players in One Day International history to score 150 runs or more three times.

In 2005, Gayle was not chosen for the first Test against South Africa. This was due to a disagreement about sponsorships. He returned for the second Test but did not play well until the fourth Test. In that game, he scored 317 runs, which helped save the match. This was the first triple century ever scored against South Africa. It was also the highest individual Test score against them until Mahela Jayawardene scored 374. In another match, Gayle had to leave the field because he felt dizzy. Later, during a series against Australia, he felt dizzy and short of breath again. He was sent to the hospital and found to have a heart condition. He had surgery after the series to fix this.

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

Gayle was named the best 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 a total of 474 runs, which was 150 more than any other batsman. He also took eight wickets. In the 2007 World Cup, Gayle did not play as well as usual. However, he scored an amazing 79 runs off 58 balls against England in the last match.

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 games. This record stood for a long time.

In the semi-final of the 2009 World Twenty20 against Sri Lanka, he became the first international player to bat through the entire innings without being out. In April 2008, the Kolkata Knight Riders bought Gayle for the Indian Premier League. He missed some games because of an injury and other international duties.

He played in the second IPL in early 2009. He arrived late for a Test series against England, which led to some criticism. He did not play well in that Test series, and the West Indies lost. However, Gayle then scored a match-winning 88 runs in the first official match of the 2009 Twenty20, helping his team surprisingly beat Australia.

On 17 December 2009, Chris Gayle scored the fifth-fastest century in Test match history. He reached 100 runs in just 70 balls, including nine fours and six sixes. He was out two balls later for 102 runs. On 16 November 2010, he became the fourth cricketer to score two triple centuries in Test cricket. Only Donald Bradman, Brian Lara, and Virender Sehwag had done this before him.

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

Later Career Achievements

In February 2015, Gayle became the fourth cricketer to score a double century in ODIs. He was also the first person to do this in World Cup history. He scored 215 runs against Zimbabwe in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup. His partnership with Marlon Samuels was the biggest in World Cup history, adding 372 runs together. Gayle was almost out on his very first ball, but the umpire's decision was upheld after a review. This made Gayle the only player in the world to hit a triple hundred in Tests, a double hundred in ODIs, and a hundred in Twenty20 Internationals.

Gayle playing against Australia during the 2019 Cricket World Cup

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 appearance. On 31 May 2019, in the West Indies' first World Cup match, Gayle hit his 40th six in World Cup games. This was the most by any batsman, beating 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, against Sri Lanka, Gayle became the most-capped player for the West Indies in international cricket, playing his 455th match.

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

In November 2020, Gayle was nominated for the ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of the Decade award. In February 2021, Gayle returned to the West Indies T20I team after two years. On 13 July 2021, against Australia, Gayle scored his first T20I half-century since 2016, making 67 runs off 38 balls.

In September 2021, Gayle was part of the West Indies team for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

Retirement from International Cricket

On 6 November 2021, Chris Gayle played his last T20I match against Australia. This game took place in the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium. He has not officially announced his full retirement from international cricket yet. He has mentioned that he would like to retire in front of his home fans in Jamaica.

Twenty20 Cricket Records

On 1 July 2009, Gayle signed to play for the Western Australia Warriors. This was for the Australian Domestic Twenty20 tournament, known as the Big Bash.

Gayle playing for the Sydney Thunder in 2011

In 2011, Chris Gayle joined the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League. In his first game against his old team, he scored 102 runs off 55 balls. He hit 10 fours and 7 sixes. On 6 May 2011, he scored another century, 107 runs off 49 balls. This innings included 10 fours and 9 sixes. In the next match, he scored 37 runs in just one over. Gayle won the Orange Cap Award for scoring the most runs in the tournament, with 608 runs in 12 matches. He was a key player for his team and won five Man of the Match awards. He also received the Player of the Tournament award. In the 2011 Champions League Twenty20, Chris Gayle was the second-highest run-scorer.

After these great performances, Gayle signed with the Zimbabwean team Matabeleland Tuskers. This was good practice for the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash, where he had signed for the Sydney Thunder. Gayle was the top run-scorer in that series with 293 runs. He had a top score of 109 and an average over 50.

Gayle also played for the Barisal Burners in the Bangladesh Premier League. There, he scored two centuries very quickly. In the 2012 IPL season, Gayle hit the most sixes (59). He was also nominated for the orange cap for scoring 733 runs in 14 matches.

Gayle started his 2013 IPL season by scoring 92 not out from 58 balls. He hit 11 fours and four sixes. This helped his team win, and he was named the man of the match. On 23 April 2013, during an IPL match against Pune Warriors India, Gayle broke several scoring records. He scored 175 not out off 66 balls. He reached his century in just 30 balls. This set records for the fastest century in any cricket game, the highest individual score in a T20 match, and the most sixes in one IPL innings. He also took two wickets in that match.

When the Caribbean Premier League started, Gayle was announced as the first main player for the league. During the 2015 T20 Blast season in England, Gayle played for Somerset. Even though he only played 3 games, he scored 328 runs. This included an amazing 151 not out against Kent. That 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 also tied the world record set by Yuvraj Singh. He reached 51 runs in just 12 balls, hitting seven sixes. This broke the old record of 18 balls.

Gayle was bought by Lahore Qalandars in 2016 to play in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). He had his toughest T20 league season, scoring only 103 runs from five matches. He returned for a second PSL season in 2017, playing for Karachi Kings. He played 9 matches and scored 160 runs. In 2021, he was picked by Quetta Gladiators.

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 ever to hit 100 T20I sixes.

On 28 January 2018, Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab) bought Gayle in the 2018 IPL Auction. On 19 April, Gayle scored 104 not out off 63 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad. His team won the match, and it was his 6th IPL century. Gayle stayed with the team for IPL 2021. However, he left the tournament early, saying he was tired from living in the "bio-bubble."

In May 2018, Gayle was named one of the top players for the 2018 Global T20 Canada tournament. In June 2018, he was chosen to play for the Vancouver Knights. In September 2018, he was named a key player for Balkh's team in the 2018–19 Afghanistan Premier League. The next month, he was in the Jozi Stars team for the 2018 Mzansi Super League. In June 2019, he played for the Vancouver Knights again. In September 2019, he was named in the squad for the Jozi Stars team again. In October 2020, he was chosen by the Kandy Tuskers for the 2020 Lanka Premier League. In November 2021, he was selected to play for the Colombo Stars.

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

Twenty20 Centuries

Playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore, Gayle scored a century in just 30 balls. This became the highest individual T20 score ever, with 175 not out. It broke the previous record set by Brendon McCullum.

Gayle holds the record for the most centuries in T20 cricket, with 21 centuries. This is 15 more than the next closest player, Brendon McCullum. 15 of his 21 T20 centuries were "not out," meaning he was still batting at the end of the innings.

Playing Style

Chris 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 is known for looking very calm when the bowler runs in to bowl. Wisden and ESPNcricinfo described him as "Tall and imposing at the crease, he loves to carve through the covers off either foot, and has the ability to decimate the figures of even the thriftiest of opening bowlers." He holds many records that show his batting style, including very high Twenty20 strike-rates and top scores.

He once explained his approach: "It is instinct... We plan sometimes, but most of those things are instinct. When a fast bowler runs in to me, my breathing is controlled. So you keep a still head, slow down your breathing. Sometimes I actually hold my breath, so I can be as still and well-balanced as possible. If you get too excited, you overreact more, and with the adrenalin, you lose focus quickly."

Music Career

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

Personal Life

Chris Gayle's partner is Allysa Berridge. On 20 April 2016, Gayle announced on Instagram that his daughter was born. On 9 September 2016, Gayle launched his autobiography, a book about his life, called Six Machine – I don't like cricket, I love it'. According to Forbes, Gayle's estimated wealth is about $15 million.

The Chris Gayle Academy

In 2015, Chris Gayle created 'The Chris Gayle Academy.' His goal was to help children who face challenges in both Jamaica and the United Kingdom. He wanted to help them improve their lives and communities through sports. Since then, the academy has grown. It now helps young cricketers advance their careers. It gives them access to good coaches and chances to play cricket in other countries.

International Centuries Scored

Gayle walks back after being dismissed in 2019.

Chris Gayle has scored 42 centuries in international cricket. This includes 15 centuries in Test matches, 25 in ODIs, and 2 in T20 Internationals, as of July 13, 2021. He was the first cricketer to score centuries in all three main types of the game.

Amazing Records Held by Chris Gayle

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 first (and so far 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 ever ODI double century (200 runs) against Zimbabwe, in just 138 balls.
• He is the third batsman 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 the first ball of a Test match for a six.
• Along with Marlon Samuels, he holds the record for the highest ever ODI partnership (372 runs for the 2nd wicket).
• Along 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 record for the highest score by a player in T20 in a losing game (151 not out).
• He shares the record for the fastest T20 half-century, in just 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 (50 runs in 12 balls) with Mohammad Shahzad and Waseem Muhammad in the Abu Dhabi T10 in 2021.

Honors and Awards

West Indies Team

• ICC Champions Trophy – 2004
• ICC World Twenty20 – 2012, 2016

Jamaica Tallawahs Team

• Caribbean Premier League – 2013, 2016

Rangpur Riders Team

• Bangladesh Premier League – 2017

Vancouver Knights Team

• Global T20 Canada – 2018

Balkh Legends Team

• Afghanistan Premier League – 2018

Images for kids

• 

  Gayle at the Prime Ministers XI cricket match in Canberra in 2010

See also

In Spanish: Chris Gayle para niños