At the start of the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League, it looked as if the Mumbai Indians had made the smartest moves in retaining the core of their team. That began to pay rich dividends right up as they won match after match and looked the overwhelming favourites to take the title.
In contrast to Mumbai's consistent climb up the ladder were the Royal Challengers Bangalore. They beat Kochi in their opening game before slumping to three consecutive defeats. And their next point came through an abandoned game against Rajasthan Royals. But then arrived Chris Gayle and with him arrived Bangalore's change in fortunes. Such was has been the difference that as the tournament now enters its business end, it is the Royal Challengers Bangalore who sit atop the points table are the new favourites to win this edition's title.
Bangalore have much to owe to their West Indies import, who was brought in as a replacement player, for putting them in the driver's seat. Gayle's contribution can be gauged from the fact that he has picked four man of the match awards in the seven games he has played so far. More importantly, it has been his consistent destructive batting that has set the tone for the team's movement up north on the points table.
Gayle has played like he can do no wrong. He's scored his runs in boundaries and sixes, has cracked two T20 centuries and as he himself admitted after the win against Kolkata on Saturday, this has been his most consistent run.
"It's the first time that I have been so consistent and I am happy about that," he said after he helped Bangalore chase down 102 in the rain-marred match against Kolkata.
In his first match this edition, Gayle hit 102 of 55 balls against Kolkata. Then, against Delhi he scored 26 from 14 deliveries. Against Pune, he smacked 49 of 26 balls and followed that up with a 49-ball 107 against Kings XI Punjab. Another savage performance came against Kochi when he smashed 44 runs from 16 deliveries. He then hit a 70 against Rajasthan and finally on Saturday hit a 12-ball 38 to confirm his team's place in the last-four play-offs.
On Tuesday, Bangalore will take on Kings XI Punjab at the picturesque venue of Dharamsala before heading back to the Chinnaswamy Stadium to play Chennai in their final league match.
Gayle surely has a point to prove. Not only was he not picked during the January players' auction, the Jamaican batsman was also denied a central contract by the West Indies Cricket Board.
The left-handed batsmen has responded to the snub in a manner that none could have imagined. His ability was never under the scanner, but his consistency was. And if he can wield the willow in the manner he has for just another four games, Bangalore will surely end up as champions of IPL-4. There's no doubt this time just who is the king of good times.
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