Gayle vs. Russell – best Caribbean hitman in Indian Premier League


The small island country of Jamaica located in Caribbean Sea has produced some of the all-time great sportsmen including the yester year’s cricketers George Headley, Michael Holding and Courtney Walsh. While Headley had been the greatest batsman of his times, the speedy piercing bowling of both Holding and Walsh had given nightmares to all the batsmen around the world at a time in history of cricket.

Deadly combination of both batting and bowling skills was still awaiting to bless the Caribbean island till Jamaican land gave nativity to “Christopher Henry Gayle” in 1979 and Andre Dwayne Russell in 1988.

Chris Gayle popularly by named as “Gayle storm” amongst his peers and the cricket fraternity is considered to be the best batsman in T20 cricket. Indian Premier League kick started in 2008 and Gayle was signed to join Kolkata Knight Riders in year 2009. Shortly after that he has been a part of Royal Challengers Banglore and is currently the part and parcel of KXIP since IPL season 2018. “Universe Boss” Chris Gayle possibly is the single greatest entertainer in the world of T20 cricket. IPL Records assert loudly in favor of Chris Gayle. So far, in his IPL career he has scored 4093 runs at an average of 41.34 and at an enormous strike rate of 151.03. He is the only player to have scored mountainous 175 run in any season of IPL so far. He has 298 sixes and 334 boundaries in his kitty with 6 centuries and colossal 25 half centuries. Please mind that a half century ranges from 50-99 runs and Gayle could have converted most of his half centuries into tons also but as it is true that cricket is a game of chance and a small event can change the fate of the game and hence that of a player’s. In terms of most of the runs scored, Gayle was at his best in IPL season 2012 wherein he scored total 733 runs with highest inning score of 128 runs out of 15 matches at the strike rate of 160.74 and has hit maximum 59 sixes in that season. However in terms of individual records, IPL season 2013 has been the best for Chris Gayle where he scored unbeaten monstrous 175 runs off just 66 deliveries (at a strike rate of 265.15) against Pune Warriors, followed by 158 runs scored by Brandon McCullum against Royal Challengers Banglore way back in 2008. Apart from IPL career, he is the second Caribbean player after Brian Lara to have surpassed 10,000 runs in ODIs. Also he has to his records the fastest ODI double Century off just 138 deliveries against Zimbabwe in World Cup 2015.         

Till the time this blog is being written, he has played 2 matches for KXIP in IPL season 2019 and has scored 99 runs at an average of 49.50 and at the strike rate of unbeatable 165.

On the other hand, Andre Dwayne Russell’s IPL career has been shorter than that of Chris Gayle’s. Andre Russell, another Jamaican hitman joined IPL from season 2012 playing for Delhi daredevils. Though he doesn’t have many individual records in his name so far in his career but undoubtedly he is one of the best finisher in IPL since inception of his career. Andre Russell has an average strike rate of 183.45 in all IPL games taken together which is the best individual strike rate ever achieved by any cricketer. IPL season 2012 has been best for Andre Russell wherein he played all 16 matches for Kolkata Knight Riders and scored total 316 runs at a strike rate of 184.79. In IPL season 2012, in a match against Delhi Daredevils, Andre Russell scored match winning 41 runs out of just 12 deliveries and drove his team to victory. In his so far IPL career of just 52 games, Andre Russell has hit 77 mighty sixes and 72 eyesome boundaries. In IPL season 2018, Andre Russell scored massive 88 runs of just 36 deliveries against Chennai Super Kings in an unfateful match. Apart from IPL, his zeal towards cricket is so high that in a local match between Jamaica vs Trinbago Knight Riders, Andre Russell scored a century off just 42 deliveries with 11 sixes in the inning and he also took a hat-trick in the same match. As a bowling legend, he is the only player to have taken four wickets in his four successive deliveries against India in 2013.

Till the time this blog is being written, he has played 2 matches for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL season 2019 and has scored 97 runs at an enormous strike rate of 269.44. He has scored 49 runs off just 19 deliveries against Sun Risers Hyderabad in his first IPL 2019 game and 48 runs off just 17 deliveries against KXIP in a successive match. In both the matches he managed to sail his team towards victory.    

Do you believe that these records belong to humans? They seem to be the “Gandharvas” of modern cricket where entertainment, entertainment and entertainment is the only mantra to success. The purpose of this writing is not to overpower one Jamaican player over the other. Chris Gayle, undoubtedly is a senior player who usually opens the innings for the team he plays for, while Andre Russell comes to bat at five or six down where he seldom gets time to settle down and plan his inning. Obviously Chris Gayle gets more opportunities to calm down than that of Andre Russell who comes to bat at a tough time when you can’t afford to let go a single delivery. While Gayle gives his team a flying start and firm foundation, Andre Russell takes his team to win most of the times playing the death overs where pressure is at pinnacle.

Both play their unique style of cricket. One thing common in case of both the players is that once they get settled (irrespective of how much time they take to settle down) no bowler in the world can cease them. Both entertain us to the core and each cricket and IPL lover wishes to see the best out of them in each match they play. Who doesn't like the firework….    



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