IPL 2017: 5 reasons why Chris Gayle is having a forgettable season
Usually among the first names in the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) team sheet, Chris Gayle has been dropped from the playing eleven on multiple occasions in the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League (IPL). While he did become the first batsman to reach the 10,000-run mark in T20s during the course of the competition, the left-hander has not managed to light up the tournament, unlike the past editions.
From six matches, the Caribbean star has scored 152 runs at an average of 25.33 and strike rate of 124.59. Apart from the 38-ball 77 against Gujarat Lions at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, he has been completely out of sorts in the other games.
Here are five reasons which could explain Gayle’s torrid time in the 2017 IPL season thus far.
#5 Of advancing age and waning reflexes
From the moment he strode into the international arena, it became apparent that Gayle’s game was built around remarkable hand-eye coordination. Such a facet of batting has to come from within and usually cannot be built through training.
A vast majority of batsmen who can take the attack to the opposition bowlers rely on their ability to pick up length quicker than others before playing through the line.
The reflexes that had served the Jamaican so well during his heydeys appear to be slowly withering away due to advancing age. At 37, he is not getting any younger and the once famous hand-eye coordination seems to be waning.