One of the greatest players in the shortest format of the game, Chris Gayle became the first batsman in the world to hit 1000 sixes in T20 cricket during the 13th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Gayle played an emphatic innings of 99 runs off 63 balls for Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) against Rajasthan Royals on Friday at Abu Dhabi, during which he hit 8 sixes and 6 fours. Gayle was bowled by Jofra Archer. Thanks to his innings, Punjab scored 185/4 against Rajasthan Royals in a crucial match.
The self-proclaimed 41-year-old Universe Boss has hit 1000 sixes in T20 cricket with the highest 349 * sixes in the IPL. In tonight's match against Rajasthan Royals (RR), he needed to hit just 7 sixes to touch this magical figure. This Caribbean lad scored his 1000th six off Karthik Tyagi's delivery.
Gayle did not play in this year's Caribbean Premier League (CPL) due to personal reasons, but in the IPL 2020 he was set to represent Kings XI Punjab (KXIP). Last year, Gayle hit 34 sixes while playing for Punjab and then smashed 27 sixes in 2018 for the franchise.
Most sixes in T20
1. Chris Gayle: 410 matches, 1001 * sixes
2. Kieron Pollard: 524 matches, 690 sixes
3. Brendon McCullum: 370 matches, 485 sixes
4. Shane Watson: 343 matches, 467 sixes
5. Andre Russell: 339 matches, 447 sixes
Gayle is the only batsman to set the record for most sixes in four different seasons of the IPL. He made this record by playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2011 (44 sixes), 2012 (59), 2013 (51) and 2015 (38).
The West Indies star left-hander hit 17 sixes during his record innings of 175 not out against Pune Warriors for RCB in 2013, which is an IPL record. Gayle also holds the record for scoring the most 18 sixes in a T20 match, but he did it in 2017 in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
After Gayle (348 *), AB de Villiers (232) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (216) are among the batsmen who hit the most sixes in the IPL. In the overall six-hitting list too, Gayle is followed by Kieron Pollard (690), another West Indies star hitter, but he is far behind him.
Not only this, in T20 cricket, Chris Gayle holds the record for most runs (13572*) in T20s, most centuries (22), most fifties (85), highest score in an innings (175 not out), fastest century (30 balls), most runs in a calendar year (1665 in 2015), most man of the match (59) and most runs in an innings (154 vs Pune Warriors) with only fours and sixes.
Gayle's heroic 99 went in vain as a solid 60-run opening stand from Ben Stokes (26-ball 50) and Robin Uthappa (23-ball 30) and a sensational finishing act from Sanju Samson (25-ball 48) powered Rajasthan Royals to a seven-wicket win over Kings XI Punjab
