Chris Gayle's 12-ball fifty (Source: @FoxCricket/x.com)
Caribbean cricketers and power-hitting go hand-in-hand, and if the name is Chris Gayle, then no one comes close to his destructive power. Since the rise of franchise T20 leagues, he’s brought his magic to the game, turning every innings into a thrill ride.
The world has seen his firepower on the big stage of the IPL, but Australia’s Big Bash League also holds some of the best innings of the universe boss. Among all, his 12-ball fifty became a forever classic in the history of the tournament.
Donning the Melbourne Renegades jersey, Gayle unleashed his dominance and registered one of his best performances in the shortest format. Let’s rewind to the night the Aussie turf felt his unstoppable power.
Gayle Battles fearlessly as Renegades hunt revival
Over the years, the West Indies batters ruled the cricket world with their batting brilliance. And if there is a topic of any particular name that dominated the T20 arena, undoubtedly, the name would be Chris Gayle. The ace Caribbean batter, who dared to bring T20 thrills even in the red-ball format.
T20 cricket has always seen some of the best from Chris Gayle, whether it's on the international stage or any T20 league. After franchise leagues were introduced, Gayle got a chance to carry his T20 rampage even more, and the Big Bash League 2015-16 witnessed his excellence.
In the 32nd match of the league, Adelaide Strikers met Melbourne Renegades, and the faceoff turned out to be a pure thriller. The Strikers lit up the night with a towering 170, throwing down a massive challenge for the Renegades to chase.
Coming to bat in the second innings, the Renegades’ top order crumbled under Striker’s lethal bowling attack, but Gayle fought the battle with a brave heart. Facing the fireworks, standing firm on the surface, Gayle unleashed his beast mode as the Strikers’ domination took the back seat.
Smashing an unbelievable 12-ball fifty, Chris Gayle stunned the world as the Melbourne crowd couldn’t believe their eyes. The Universe Boss smashed four consecutive sixes in the first over and continued it in the second over.
With that, Gayle smashed the record of fastest fifty in BBL, surpassing Tim Ludeman’s record of scoring a BBL fifty in 18 balls. He didn’t stop there. Gayle stormed to 56 off just 17 balls, smashing two fours and seven towering sixes at a jaw-dropping strike rate of 329.41.
After Gayle set the tone on high, the rest of the lineup failed to chase down the total. Ending their innings in 143 runs, they faced a 27-run defeat. Yet even in defeat, Gayle’s carnage stole the spotlight, years after the T20 titan hung up his boots, that knock still echoes as one of the BBL’s most explosive statements.
