Chris Gayle Biography and Career

Rarely has there been a player on the cricket field as vibrant, as colourful, as audacious and as brutal as Christopher Henry Gayle, also known as Chris Gayle. The self-proclaimed ‘Universe Boss’, Gayle is a once in a generation cricketer, who has changed the way cricket is played. Widely regarded as the greatest T20 player to have ever played the game, Gayle played a huge role in helping West Indies win the 2012 and 2016 T20 World Cups.
Born on 21 September 1979, in Kingston, Jamaica, Gayle did his initial training at the Lucas Cricket Club in Jamaica. He was first spotted at the 1998 Under-19 cricket World Cup where Gayle scored big runs. 
He made his first-class debut in 1998 and, eleven months later, made his international debut in an ODI against India in Toronto. His Test debut followed as well and he got to his maiden ODI century in 2011, but it was not until 2002 that Gayle really showed what kind of a destructive batsman he can be.
In 2005, Gayle was dropped from the West Indies side for the first Test against South Africa following a dispute over contract issues. He returned for the second Test and in the fourth Test, he smashed 317, which was the first-ever triple century against South Africa in Test cricket. 
In the same series, Gayle left the field after complaining of dizziness and shortness of breath. When it happened again a few days later, he got it checked. Gayle was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect causing a cardiac dysrhythmia, and he underwent heart surgery to correct the defect.
He played a key role in helping West Indies win the 2004 Champions Trophy for the first time, and they nearly defended it in 2006, where Gayle was named player of the series. 
Gayle made his first T20 century in the opening game of the 2007 T20 World Cup, even though West Indies lost the game against South Africa. That made him the first batsman to score a century in each format of the game. 
In 2010, Gayle became just the fourth batsman in cricket history to score two triple centuries in Test cricket. Even as he galloped across formats, T20 remained his favourite form of cricket. 
At the 2015 ODI World Cup, Gayle became the fourth cricketer to record an ODI double century when he scored 215 against Zimbabwe in a league game. It was the first double century in ODI World Cup history and Gayle became the first person to have a Test triple century, an ODI double century and a T20I triple century.
In 2012, Gayle played a key role in helping West Indies lift the T20 World Cup for the first time as they beat Sri Lanka in the final. Then in 2016, Gayle was again part of the team when they defeated England in the final of the T20 World Cup in Mumbai. 
Gayle played his last international game for West Indies in 2021, though he has not officially announced his retirement from international cricket. 

Gayle in the IPL

David Warner might be the most successful overseas player in IPL history but Gayle has to be the most popular overseas player to have ever featured in the league. Gayle holds some of the most unthinkable IPL records and has etched his name in the upper echelons of the prestigious tournament. 
Gayle was picked by Kolkata Knight Riders for a whopping US$ 800,000 in the inaugural edition of IPL, but he did not get much game time. He spent three years with KKR before being released and wasn’t picked up at the IPL 2011 auction. He eventually came into RCB as a replacement player, and the rest is history. 
Gayle became one of the fiercest players to ever wear an RCB shirt. He finished IPL 2011 with 608 runs and the orange cap, and finished IPL 2012 with 733 runs and the orange cap. That season, he scored a barely believable 175 not out against Pune Warriors India, which to date remains the highest score in the history of T20 cricket. 
Gayle moved to Punjab Kings in 2018 and last played in the IPL in 2021. By the time he finished, Gayle had racked up 4965 runs in 142 matches at a strike rate of 148.96 with six centuries and 31 fifties.

Beyond cricket

Chris Gayle is probably the most vibrant personality to ever play cricket. He dances on the cricket field, enjoys himself, sings, and just does things which are offbeat. Gayle’s partner's name is Allysa Berridge. The couple welcomed their daughter on 20 April 2016. A few months later on 9 September 2016, Gayle launched his autobiography, Six Machine – I don't like cricket, I love it'. According to Forbes, Gayle’s estimated net worth is approximately US$15 million. He lives in Jamaica with his family.
Away from cricket, he also has a music career and has released a number of dance videos and songs. In 2015, Gayle set up ‘The Chris Gayle Academy’ in Jamaica which has extended and now provides cricket coaching to a number of boys and girls.
Gayle has endorsed a number of products such as Attitude.com, Spartan Sports, Sandals Resorts, while he also runs a bar named The Triple Century 333 located in Jamaica and has a successful restaurant as well.

Controversies 

Gayle has had several brushes with controversy almost throughout his career starting in 2005 when he was involved in a dispute between the West Indies Cricket Board and a number of players over sponsorship issues. In 2011, he criticised the WICB and head coach Ottis Gibson and did not play international cricket for more than a year.
In 2016, while being interviewed by Network Ten commentator Mel McLaughlin during the BBL, Gayle made comments which were found to be inappropriate and he was fined by the Melbourne Renegades. He later also won a slew of lawsuits against him.

Chris Gayle Records

Chris Gayle T20 records

• No other player has more runs than Gayle in T20 cricket history - 14,562
• He has amassed 22 centuries in T20 cricket. The next best is Babar Azam with 11 tons
• Gayle has scored 88 fifties in T20 cricket. Only David Warner and Virat Kohli have more half-centuries than him in the format
• Gayle is the only player in the world with more than 1000 T20 sixes
• Gayle holds the record for the highest-ever score in a T20 match – 175* against Pune Warriors India in the IPL
• He is second on the list for the most balls faced by any cricketer in T20s – 10,060

Chris Gayle Test records

• Gayle is one of four players in the 150-year Test history to have scored two triple centuries in the format
• He is one of four West Indies players to have recorded a Test triple century
• He is eighth on the list for the most runs scored by any West Indies player in Test cricket history
• No other West Indies batsman has hit more sixes than Gayle’s 98 in Test cricket
• He was the second West Indies batsman to breach the 10,000 mark in Test cricket after Brian Lara

Chris Gayle ODI records

• Gayle is the leading run-scorer for West Indies in ODIs with 10,425 runs in 298 games
• He also has the most centuries for any West Indies batter in the format – 25
• With 331 sixes, Gayle is third on the list for the most sixes hit by any batsman in ODI cricket history
• Gayle was the first West Indies batsman to record a double century in ODIs. He recorded the feat in the 2015 World Cup against Zimbabwe
• His 215 in ODIs is the highest score by any left-handed batsman in ODI cricket history
• Gayle is one of six players in ODI cricket history to have three scores of 150 or more

Chris Gayle T20I records

• Gayle is second on the list for the most runs by any West Indies batsman in T20Is – 1899 in 79 games
• He’s second on the list for the most sixes hit by any West Indies batsman in T20I cricket – 124. He has also hit the most fours by any West Indies batsman in the format
• He has the most fifties for any West Indies batsman in T20Is – 14 and with two centuries is the joint-highest centurion maker for them in the format
• He holds the record for the highest individual score at a T20 World Cup – 117 which he smashed on the opening. He also scored the first-ever T20I century

Chris Gayle other international records

• Gayle is the only player in the world to record a triple of centuries – a triple hundred in Test cricket, a double hundred in ODI cricket and a century in T20I cricket
• He ranks third on the list for the most runs by a West Indies batter in all three formats of the game combined – 19,538 runs in 480 matches
• He is the most capped player for West Indies in international cricket

Chris Gayle IPL records

• Gayle holds the record for the fastest hundred in IPL - off just 30 balls against Pune Warriors India 
• He also holds the record for the highest score in the IPL - 175 against Pune
• No other batsman has hit more sixes than Gayle in the IPL - 357
• Gayle holds the record for the second-most centuries in the IPL - 6. He is only second to Virat Kohli in this regard, who has eight centuries in the league
• Gayle is the only batsman to win the Orange Cap in two successive seasons. He scored the most runs in the league in 2011 and 2012, both times for RCB