Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli with Vijay Mallya
Known for his explosive batting and charismatic presence, Gayle played a major role in making the IPL globally popular and entertaining. Yet, his entry into the league wasn’t straightforward. Behind his iconic IPL journey lies an interesting story of how he found his way into the tournament, a tale that adds even more charm to the legacy he created.
Chris Gayle’s journey in the Indian Premier League is filled with entertainment, records, and unforgettable performances, but the way he landed at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) remains one of the most interesting stories in IPL history. Unlike his entry into Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) or Punjab Kings (PBKS) through the regular player auctions, his move to RCB came about in a completely different and unexpected manner. The 2011 season had just begun when Gayle found himself without a contract. Despite being one of the most destructive openers in the world, not a single franchise placed a bid for him at the auction.
For a cricketer of his stature, it was a surprising and disappointing moment. He returned home to Jamaica with no IPL plans, already frustrated with issues in West Indies cricket and his exclusion from a home series against Pakistan after the 2011 World Cup. At that point, Gayle was recovering from injuries and not playing any competitive cricket. Everything changed with one incident. During the 2011 IPL, RCB’s overseas fast bowler Dirk Nannes picked up a side strain and was ruled out of the tournament. The franchise urgently needed a replacement, and the management decided to take a gamble on Gayle.
That is when team mentor Anil Kumble and then franchise owner Vijay Mallya personally reached out to him. Gayle later shared how he received the call while spending a night out in Jamaica. Initially, he could not believe that the offer was real. When asked if he was fit to play, he confirmed, and the RCB officials told him to head straight to the embassy and sort his visa. Although it was a weekend and he doubted if it could be done, the process went through smoothly. Within a day, he had his documents in hand and was on a flight to India. That phone call turned out to be the turning point of his IPL career. Once he joined the RCB squad, Gayle wasted no time in proving his worth. Gayle said:
When I received the call, I was actually at a nightclub in Jamaica. At that point, things had broken down with West Indies Cricket. I wasn’t even picked for a home series against Pakistan. It came right after a World Cup defeat and an injury, so I was really disappointed. To put it simply, I wasn’t playing any cricket then.
In the 2011 season, despite joining late, he smashed 608 runs at a staggering strike rate, leading RCB all the way to the final. His power-hitting and match-winning knocks quickly made him the face of the team. The next two seasons, 2012 and 2013, were even bigger. Gayle crossed the 700-run mark in both editions, striking fear into bowlers with his ability to dominate the game single-handedly. During this period, he also produced some of the most memorable knocks in IPL history, including the record-breaking 175 not out against Pune Warriors India in 2013, which remains the highest individual score in T20 cricket. However, after such a golden run, his form dipped in 2014. Retained by RCB, he managed only 196 runs in that season. Gayle added:
I got a call from Vijay Mallya and Anil Kumble. They asked if I was fit, and I thought, ‘Is this for real?’ I told them yes, I was ready. They said, ‘In that case, go to the embassy tomorrow and get your visa.’ I reminded them it was a Saturday, but they told me not to worry and just turned up. I did exactly that, got my visa the next day, took a flight, and that’s really where the journey began.
But the big Jamaican bounced back strongly in 2015, scoring 491 runs and once again entertaining crowds with his explosive batting. The following two seasons were inconsistent, and in 2018 he re-entered the player auction. Surprisingly, he went unsold twice before PBKS finally picked him up. With Punjab Kings, Gayle had some good moments, but his most iconic years remained with RCB. From 2011 to 2017, he played 85 matches for the franchise and piled up 3,163 runs at an incredible strike rate of 152.72. He cleared the boundary ropes 239 times for RCB, making him one of the most dangerous hitters the league had ever seen.
| Season | Team | Matches | Innings | Not Outs | Runs | HS | Avg | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 4s | 6s | Ct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPL 2021 | PBKS | 10 | 10 | 1 | 193 | 46 | 21.44 | 154 | 125.32 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 8 | 3 |
| IPL 2020/21 | PBKS | 7 | 7 | 0 | 288 | 99 | 41.14 | 210 | 137.14 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 23 | 1 |
| IPL 2019 | PBKS | 13 | 13 | 1 | 490 | 99* | 40.83 | 319 | 153.60 | 0 | 4 | 45 | 34 | 0 |
| IPL 2018 | PBKS | 11 | 11 | 2 | 368 | 104* | 40.88 | 252 | 146.03 | 1 | 3 | 30 | 27 | 2 |
| IPL 2017 | RCB | 9 | 9 | 0 | 200 | 77 | 22.22 | 163 | 122.69 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 14 | 2 |
| IPL 2016 | RCB | 10 | 10 | 0 | 227 | 76 | 22.70 | 150 | 151.33 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 21 | 4 |
| IPL 2015 | RCB | 14 | 14 | 2 | 491 | 117 | 40.91 | 333 | 147.44 | 1 | 2 | 39 | 38 | 1 |
| IPL 2014 | RCB | 9 | 9 | 0 | 196 | 46 | 21.77 | 184 | 106.52 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 12 | 2 |
| IPL 2013 | RCB | 16 | 16 | 4 | 708 | 175* | 59.00 | 453 | 156.29 | 1 | 4 | 57 | 51 | 3 |
| IPL 2012 | RCB | 15 | 14 | 2 | 733 | 128* | 61.08 | 456 | 160.74 | 1 | 7 | 46 | 59 | 2 |
| IPL 2011 | RCB | 12 | 12 | 3 | 608 | 107 | 67.55 | 332 | 183.13 | 2 | 3 | 56 | 44 | 2 |
| IPL 2009/10 | KKR | 9 | 9 | 0 | 292 | 88 | 32.44 | 184 | 158.69 | 0 | 2 | 30 | 16 | 2 |
| IPL 2009 | KKR | 7 | 7 | 1 | 171 | 44* | 28.50 | 143 | 119.58 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 10 | 5 |
To this day, he stands as the third-highest run scorer for the team, behind only Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. Overall, in his IPL career spanning from 2009 to 2021, Gayle scored 4,965 runs in 142 matches. He began with KKR, became a superstar at RCB, and closed his chapter with PBKS. But it was that one phone call from Vijay Mallya and Anil Kumble in 2011 that truly changed everything for him. What started as an uncertain moment when he went unsold in the auction turned into a fairytale run with RCB, shaping both his career and the identity of the franchise. For fans, Chris Gayle and RCB will always be remembered as a perfect match made by chance.