Birthday Special: When 'Universe Boss' Chris Gayle Slammed First-Ever T20I Hundred
Chris Gayle slammed a 57-ball 117 [X.com]
Former West Indies' hard-hitting opener Chris Gayle celebrates his 44th birthday today. And as a hymn to the great batter, we turn the pages of T20I history books and look into when the left-hander slammed the first-ever 20-overs international back in 2007.
Gayle, who finished his T20I career with 1,899 runs with two centuries and 14 fifties, etched his name in the record books during the first-ever ICC T20 World Cup in South Africa. In the first match between hosts South Africa and West Indies, Gayle chose to shine on the global stage and make the universe aware of his destructive force.
Gayle displayed aggression from the get-go and spared no South African bowler, which consisted of the likes of Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, and Morne Morkel.
The opener reached his fifty in merely 26 balls and then shifted gears, tearing South Africa's bowling apart. The explosive batter needed just 24 balls to go from 50 to 100, which included five fours and nine blistering sixes on a starry night at Johannesburg.
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Gayle's innings came to an end on 177 from 57 balls, hitting two more fours and a solitary six after completing a hundred, helping Windies post a mammoth 207-run target.
Powered by Herschelle Gibbs' unbeaten 90 off 55, and Justin Kemp's quick-fire 46 off 22, South Africa pulled off a remarkable chase, achieving their target in just 17.4 overs. Such was Gayle's impact that despite West Indies losing, the prolific T20 run-getter was awarded the 'Player of the Match' award.
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