Brilliant Gayle surpasses 10,000 T20 runs as RCB return to winning ways
Chris Gayle became the first man to surpass 10,000 Twenty20 runs as his explosive 77 inspired Royal Challengers Bangalore to 21-run IPL win over Gujarat Lions despite Brendon McCullum's best efforts.
Big-hitting Gayle was dropped for struggling RCB's defeat to Rising Pune Supergiant last time out, but he was back with a vengeance in achieving his landmark as five fours and seven sixes helped the visitors to 213-2.
Virat Kohli contributed a scrappy 64, while Ravindra Jadeja toiled in the Lions' bowling attacking by conceding 0-57 - his most expensive spell in T20s.
The Lions, who topped the regular-season standings ahead of RCB in 2016, possess plenty of firepower of their own and McCullum was typically brilliant in his knock of 72 off 44.
But his dismissal in the 15th over all but ended the Lions' response as RCB won for just the second time this season to leave their opponents bottom of the table.
10,000 run-mark breached by UNIVERSAL BOSS - @henrygayle #IPL #GLvRCB pic.twitter.com/eoMZZGxWjb
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 18, 2017
It took four overs for Gayle to get the three runs he required to reach his landmark, but he was quickly swinging for the fences.
Jadeja was the man who bore the brunt of Gayle's explosive batting after yielding 20 runs in a costly eighth over, although his cause was not helped by a McCullum error.
The New Zealander took a stunning one-handed catch on the dive on the long-off boundary but, while sliding, the brim of his hat touched the boundary rope and his admission saw a six awarded and earned a handshake from Kohli.
It proved costly as Gayle smashed Shivil Kaushik into the top tier to bring up his fifty and the runs continued to flow until he was pinged in front by a brilliant ball from Basil Thampi.
At the other end, Kohli was not always at his free-flowing best but the India skipper fought his way to 64 with seven fours and a six, while late contributions from Travis Head (30 off 16) and Kedar Jadhav (38 off 16) boosted RCB's total.
McCullum had little alternative other than to go on the attack in response and a superb swing over square leg in the fourth over set the tone.
Suresh Raina (23) and Aaron Finch (19) failed to get going after making starts, leaving the impetus on McCullum and a flat pull off Pawan Negi brought up a half-century.
The timing of his strokes was impeccable, but he got too much elevation on a Yuzvendra Chahal delivery, leaving Adam Milne a simple catch at deep midwicket to end his innings.
An entertaining knock from Ishan Kishan (39 off 16) ensured a respectable scoreline, but the Lions' required run rate was always too high.