Virender Sehwag explains Kings XI Punjab’s decision to buy Chris Gayle
Imagining a T20 tournament without Chris Gayle is quite an unthinkable task owing to what he brings to the table.
His flamboyant stroke play, ability to ruthlessly tear down the opposition and pile up tall totals is what makes him a unique package up in the order. However, at 38, he’s not getting any younger and his magic seems to be on the slide as well.
That perhaps explains why he was snubbed for the first two times in the auction before Kings XI Punjab swooped him up for ₹2 crore, his base price. Kings XI Punjab boast of a strong batting squad this season and Gayle only adds as a cherry on top.
Explaining the move to bring in the player at the eleventh hour, former India batsman Virender Sehwag, who’s now the director and mentor of KXIP, told www.amarujala.com: “Simply having him (Gayle) in your side means a lot. Being an opening batsman, Gayle can prove to be a danger to any opposition.”
Kings XI Punjab have a decent batting unit this year. Besides Gayle, they have Aaron Finch, Quinton de Kock and Marcus Stoinis among a few other foreign recruits. Their stellar Indian options include that of Yuvraj Singh, Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul and Karun Nair as well.
However, given Gayle is 38, and is not getting any younger, it will be interesting to see how the KXIP think-tank uses him. Giving an early indication that the Caribbean star might not play a part in all the games, Sehwag further went on to add: “Gayle’s brand value speaks for himself and how effective he is in this format. We decided to bring in Gayle as a back-up option for the opening slots.”
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