4 superstars without whom IPL would never be the same
With multiple players being interchanged through the transaction windows, India's favourite domestic cricketing tournament has grabbed the headlines once again.
The next edition of the IPL, as always, only promises to return bigger and better. However, given the numerous events that have been transpiring over the past few months, some new debates have been making rounds among the fans.
While a few of them argue that a certain set of players must be rested from the IPL to manage the workload, others worry that retirement from international cricket might affect the form of their favourite players.
But given the very essence and ethos of the Indian Premier League, there remain a few cricketers who seem to overcome all the odds time and again to restate their supremacy in the sport. So, as the tournament continues its juggernaut, we take a look at 4 such superstars of the game without whom, the tournament would not be the same.
Honourable mentions:
MS Dhoni (CSK) and Suresh Raina (CSK)
#4 Chris Gayle
Mat: 112 Runs:3994 SR:150.71 6s: 292
While most of the big-hitters throw caution to the winds when in full flow, Chris Gayle can often be spotted throwing caution to the crowds while functioning in his top gear. Recollect a few of his scorchers with the bat and you would reminisce the sheer brutality with which a cricket ball can be bludgeoned by a batsman.
With 292 maximums in 112 games, the man from Jamaica holds the record for the most number of sixes hit in the history of the IPL. Now as you digest the previous stat, here are a few more: Gayle accounts for the most number of sixes in an inning, highest individual score, and also the most number of centuries among others.
While this record-shatterer hasn't been peaking in the past few seasons, the cricketing carnival would surely miss one of its favourites if no franchise picks him in the coming season.