Published: Jan 18, 2016, 04:36 PM (IST)
Edited: Jan 18, 2016, 04:49 PM (IST)
Chris Gayle, West Indies‘ explosive batsman has equalled Yuvraj Singh‘s record for the fastest T20 fifty. Gayle smashed his fifty in Big Bash League (BBL) 2015-16 match between Adelaide Strikers and Melbourne Renegades. His half century included seven shots which dispatched the ball over the ropes and one boundary en route his fifty. He went on to score 56 off 17 deliveries hitting one more boundary. His strike rate during his 56-run knock was a staggering 329.41. Yuvraj Singh had earlier cracked the fastest T20 fifty in the inaugural T20I World Cup in 2007 match against England. In that epic match he had carted Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over, a record that stands till date. Gayle has equaled Yuvraj but since this is a BBL match and not an international T20 hence Yuvraj’s record of the fastest T20I fifty still stands. However, Gayle has certainly equaled him if all T20 matches are taken into account. READ: Chris Gayle draws flak from Ricky Ponting for refusing easy single during BBL game
Gayle was recently in news but for wrong reasons after having made some inappropriate comments against a female reporter from Australia. Gayle is widely considered as the most explosive batsmen in contemporary cricket along with AB de Villiers since the retirement of Virender Sehwag, Sanath Jayasuriya and Adam Gilchrist. Gayle also holds the record for the fastest hundred in IPL after blasting a hundred off just 30 balls. Now, after Yuvraj and Gayle, England’s Marcus Trescothick is next in the list with his 13-ball fifty batting for Somerset against Hampshire in 2000.
Gayle was playing for Melbourne Renegades who were chasing Strikers’170. At the time this report was published Renehgades were 88 for 4 at the end of 7.4 overs needing 83 runs from 74 balls.
