How the Gayle inclusion has worked wonders for KXIP | How Chris Gayle’s inclusion has transformed KXIP’s fortunes in IPL 2020 in UAE
With just a solitary victory in the first half of IPL 2020, Kings XI Punjab were languishing at the bottom of the points table. Three rounds later, KXIP is in 6th spot, behind SRH on NRR and with three victories in their past three games. They are the ‘favourites’ according to many for the 4th spot behind the three runaway leaders Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians.
So what sparked the turnaround for a franchise which has qualified for the playoffs on only two occasions in the last 13 years?
There is one prime reason. ‘The Universe Boss’, Christopher Henry Gayle.
IPL isn’t completely alienated to Gayle’s mid-season entry completely changing his side’s fortunes. It happened in 2011 when RCB replaced Dirk Nannes with the Jamaican Talisman. He announced his arrival with a bang against KKR as he scored an unbeaten century in his 1st game of IPL 2011.
Fast forward to IPL 2020 and in some ways, history repeated itself!
Chris Gayle was benched for the first seven games by KXIP as they had a successful opening combination. Eventually, it led to overdependence on the dynamic duo of KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal, and KXIP decided to include the greatest player in T20 history to induce some stability in what had been a brittle middle order.
However, the decision to play Gayle at No. 3 did raise some eyebrows, but the 2014 runners-up did have a dilemma. Before the game against RCB, Chris Gayle had played only twice as a non-opener in his IPL career, scoring a grand total of four runs out of the 4484. On the other hand, Agarwal-Rahul partnership was the best in the league and both of them were at the top in the Orange Cap standings.
Just like in 2011, Gayle did play his former franchise, in what can be termed as his comeback game. In a typical Gayle style inning, he started off on a cautious note with just seven runs in 15 balls but later took on the RCB bowling attack. He even hit four sixes against Sundar, in what was termed as an unfavourable match for the West Indian player, given his struggles in the past against off-spinners.
Gayle’s half-century meant that there was an interruption in the usual pattern, as KXIP didnt lose wickets even after a great foundation laid by an opening partnership of 78 runs. Even though he got out in the last over and the match was decided off the last ball, KXIP were always on track with the chase and the burden on Rahul was now shared by a batsman at the other end.
In the following game against MI, Gayle’s presence at 3 meant that after a 33-run stand between the openers, he notched another 42-run stand with Rahul and it meant that the scoreboard always kept ticking.
Against Delhi Capitals, Gayle played a cameo of 29 runs in 13 balls and majority of his runs came against Tushar Deshpande as he scored 25 runs against the pacer. Yet again, the innings ensured that KXIP was ahead of the run-rate and the middle order has another contributor in addition to Nicholas Pooran.
In the first seven matches, KXIP’s No. 3 batsmen had scored 85 runs in seven innings at an average of 14. Gayle’s arrival meant that the number 3 slot was sealed. It was no longer a weakness, but in fact one of the major strengths of the set-up. KXIP still have a long way to go before they can finish in the top 4, but the way Gayle has been bridge between the in-form openers and Nicholas Pooran is the most impressive part.
On his day, Gayle can singlehandedly win a game for KXIP and his consistency so far and in the upcoming games has been and will be reliving sign for the franchise.
Written by Sarthak Karkhanis. Follow Sarthak on Twitter today.
