Umpire Stops Gayle To Bat In 2016 (Source: @windiescricket/x.com)
Cricket never fails to thrill, with every wicket and soaring six keeping fans on the edge of their seats. When it comes to clearing the ropes, no one does it better than Chris Gayle, the undisputed king of sixes.
Whether it's on the international stage or in any T20 leagues, Gayle has always raised his bat high. Known as a powerhouse with the bat and a crowd-pleasing entertainer off it, one unforgettable moment still lingers in fans’ minds, when an umpire shockingly refused to let the Universe Boss take the crease.
An Injury Forces Gayle Off To The Field
As West Indies produced some of the iconic cricket stars, the Universe Boss Chris Gayle is a front-liner of the nation. With enormous talent, six-hitting prowess, and his trademark aggressive T20 style, Gayle dominated the shortest format of the game. Whenever he took the strike, bowlers faced a living nightmare. Yet, in one unforgettable moment, even the mighty Gayle was forced stay outside the ground by an umpire.
The drama took place in the big stage of the World T20 in 2016. In the 21st match of the tournament, West Indies locked horns with Sri Lanka and the uncanny moment took place with Gayle. As Sri Lanka was batting first in the match, Caribbean bowlers created magic on the field.
Just as they were taking the game by storm, the Universe Boss suffered a hamstring injury in his left leg and had to leave the innings midway, walking off the field. Due to that setback, he didn’t take the field further in the first innings.
Umpire Makes Gayle Wait Off The Field
As West Indies was all set to chase down the total, Chris Gayle was about to take the field. But the drama ignited into the big stage as umpire stopped Gayle from entering the ground. He remained off the field and was not allowed to bat or open until he had spent the required amount of time in the dressing room..
According to the rules, a player must stay off the field for a specific period before he can return, and Gayle didn’t meet that requirement. By time, he was coming in, he had some more minutes to spend in the dressing room.
The on-field umpire, Ian Gould signaled Gayle to stay off the field for two more minutes. As he hilariously dragged the Universe Boss along, the moment went viral. As the entire M Chinnaswamy Stadium erupted with ‘Gayle, Gayle’ chant, the Caribbean star didn’r came to open the innings.
West Indies Pulls Off A Dominant Victory
In the match, Sri Lanka had a tough time as the Caribbean bowlers dominated the opponent with the lethal bowling. Samuel Badree weaved his magic on the field, leaving Sri Lanka reeling. Only Thisara Perera and Angelo Mathews offered resistance with 40 and 20 runs respectively, as the team was bowled out for a modest 122.
Chasing down the target, Andre Fletcher’s excellence graced the stage. After scoring a half-century, he played an unbeaten knock of 84 runs in 64 balls. Adding to the fireworks, Andre Russell’s explosive cameo of 20 runs in just 8 balls propelled the team closer to victory. The Caribbean side sealed a comfortable seven-wicket win in the 19th over, leaving fans cheering their dominant performance.
