Chris Gayle believes in keeping it simple. He sends all those deliveries soaring into the stands by “trying not to move around. It's natural.”
The West Indian's tally of sixes stands at a whopping 57 in the current edition of the IPL. Like any stroke-maker, he loves the ball to come on to the bat.
Quiz Gayle on what it takes to come up with the big hits, he reveals, “the secret behind those sixes was good balance,” Indeed, Gayle has repeatedly exhibited his penchant for hitting the ball on the up.
But the powerfully built opener is equally quick to rock back on the back-foot and pull the ball to some distance into the cheering crowd.
A slow starter, Gayle admitted on concentrating on occupying the crease longer. He knows too well that his team wants him to stay in the middle irrespective of his strike-rate.
Asked about a rare maiden over he faced from Umesh Yadav on Thursday, Gayle said, “It is okay as long as I'm there till the end. The longer I stay, it helps get runs for the team.”
Gayle, who hit IPL record-equalling 13 sixes during his unbeaten 128, was unaware that the world record for sixes in a twenty20 innings was 16.
“Somebody should have told me that and I should have gone for it,” said the big man jokingly.
Virat Kohli was all praise for Gayle and said, “Lots of his shots could have taken my head off at the non-striker's end.”
He was happy to get some runs. “I wasn't doing too well so it was important for me to have hit form. Felt good since it was an important match for us.”
