West Indian Chris Gayle has to be the best T20 player in the world.
Gayle is the most explosive player, especially in T20 cricket.
His aggressive style makes him the perfect player in a power play, as he gives teams a plan to launch and chase down just about any total.
His statistics in T20 cricket make him the Don Bradman of T20 cricket.
At a T20 international level, Gayle has an average of 32.54 with two hundreds and 13 fifties to his name, which is quite impressive.
He is also the only player in cricket history to have triple hundred in Test cricket, a double century in one-day cricket and a hundred in T20 cricket. He has also scored the most runs in a T20 World Cup, which shows he can perform on the big stage.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Gayle holds one of highest strike rates in T20 cricket and his record in franchise T20 cricket has to been applauded, with his batting average in all teams near 40 or above 40. Chris Gayle’s highest score in T20 cricket is 175 from 66 balls in the IPL and he also has the record for the fastest hundred in all forms of cricket, scoring a ton off just 30 balls. This is just amazing.
As well as his explosive innings as a batsman, his bowling is also something he should be credited with. He bowls well in power plays to limit opposition teams scoring. His economy rate is quite good for an off spinner at 7.07. Moreover, he is an excellent fielder in the slips as an added bonus.
The highlight of Gayle’s T20 career came representing his nation: his 40 off 20 balls against England in 2017. He hit his 100th six in T20 cricket, which was a first.
In the 2012 World Cup semi-final against Australia, Gayle scored 75 off 41 balls. Gayle also has multiple World Cup medals to his name as well, with the West Indies winning T20 World Cups in 2012 and 2016.
Gayle is one player who is suited for T20 cricket as he has big shoulders to hit the ball. He does not use his feet as regular batsmen do, but the power in his arms helps him play the big shots.
He also has great balance, keeping his head, which helps Gayle use his brute strength hit the big sixes.
Even though some think he is a lazy cricketer, I think he is the best in T20 cricketer the world has seen.
sheek
Roar Guru
Chris Gayle is only a legend in his own mind. And perhaps considered so by some misguided souls. Anyway, it’s T20, which has been so horribly reduced in time, format, technique, strategy & tactics that almost any mug can be made to look good at it.
Camo McD
Roar Guru
The way Gayle has perfected six hitting is absolutely incredible. Pretty much any ball pitched up to him goes over the ropes. Still head, less footwork as you say. He has tweaked his own technique specifically for T20 cricket. The gap between Gayle and others is much smaller than Bradman to others but he may turn out to be much more influential to future batting approach and technique than Bradman was.
Zavjalova
Roar Rookie
Yeah, the universe boss already knows. He wouldnt be blushin
Zavjalova
Roar Rookie
He also has 2 test match triple ceeturies like bradman. 1 of only a half dozen batsman to do it. He has a solid test record but he underachieved in the games traditional and best format
JGK
Roar Guru
Actually, I don’t think the self styled “Universe Boss” would blush at that comparison. He might think it is understating his talents.
Paul
Roar Guru
Chris Gayle has had a cricket career he can be immensely proud of and his feats in T20 cricket are certainly both spectacular and impressive. That said, I think he'd blush with embarrassment if someone suggested he was Bradman-like in this form of the game. A top tier player for sure, but I don't think he's the benchmark for T20 batting as Bradman has been.
JGK
Roar Guru
Maybe calling him the “Jack Hobbs” of T20 would be more apt. As good as anyone else (barring Bradman) with remarkable longevity resulting in lots of runs and 100s.
Tony Hodges
Roar Rookie
He’s good, but he’s not even clearly the best player of his era, let alone all eras.
Patrick
Roar Pro
I'd certainly agree that Gayle deserves to be considered among the T20 greats, but I wouldn't describe him as Bradman-esque. Bradman's average is literally 36.5 runs better than the next best (min 20 innings), and even then, that's Marnus Labuschagne, whose only played 14 Tests. He's just so far ahead of the pack. Gayle, on the other hand, I would place among the leading pack, but not ahead of it. By virtue of opening, and playing so many matches, he has heaps of hundreds, but otherwise, I think others are just as valuable. AB De Villiers, for example, averages 37.15, with a SR of 149.77 in T20s. He only has 4 hundreds, in comparison to Gayle's 22, but he bats at number 4- he doesn't have as much time. For a middle order player, this is an exceptional record. In terms of Gayle being the "most explosive player", there are middle-lower order players who score faster- the high risk nature of their game just means they average less. Andre Russell has a T20 SR of over 170, whilst Glenn Maxwell's is 154 (160 in internationals). Gayle's by comparison is 146, despite the benefit of batting in the power play. I don't think there is a clear cut GOAT in the T20 format- unlike FC cricket, I think there are a range of different roles in a T20 side- openers, anchors (Kohli, Smith, etc), and middle-late order hitters (Russell, Maxwell). I wouldn't say one role is more important than another. Therefore, I wouldn't say that Gayle is more valuable than some of the great middle order players, or death hitters, but rather on a par. Bradman, on the other hand, had a record that clearly eclipsed all others, in a format where there is less distinction between different roles.