Gayle slams season’s first ton, dedicates it to daughter
CALYPSO TIME Kings XI opener hits 11 sixes in his 58ball hundred, helps hosts beat SRH by 15 runs
S Dhawan retired hurt 0 (1) K Williamson c Finch b Tye 54 (41) Y Pathan b Mohit 19 (13) M Pandey not out 57 (42)
D Hooda c sub b Tye 5 (5)
S Al Hasan not out 24 (12)
Extras (lb 2, nb 1, w 10) 13
Total (4 wkts, 20 ovs) 178
FOW: 1-14, 2-37, 3-113, 4-133. Bowling: Sran 4-0-22-0, Mohit 4-0-51-2, Tye 4-0-23-2, Ashwin 4-0-53-0, Rahman 4-0-27-0.
KXIP won by 15 runs Man-of-the-match: Chris Gayle It feels good to contribute to the team’s success. It matters when your team wins and you contribute. But the tournament has just started, so it is important for me to help my team get good scores. It feels amazing when people like Virat and de Villiers praise you. I have to thank IPL for giving me a chance every year to come and play in front of these legends.
It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I feel blessed that I am able to compete against the best in the world. Playing with the best brings out the best in me. My goal is to maximise the potential God has given me. I don’t see myself making a return to any team. I don’t want to see the future or my past. Those things are not Having Dav Whatmore for the last one year has been like fresh air in the dressing room. We are more at ease, able to express, talk things and play the way we want to. He has really helped me to be myself. The first thing he told me was, ‘I just want you to play like Sanju Samson. If you want to hit a six off the first ball then go do it.’ So he gave me freedom and space. I hope that Kerala Cricket Association keeps him for many
years.