IPL 2016: Chris Gayle compares Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers to 'Batman-Superman'

Jamaican all-rounder Chris Gayle showered praise on his Royal Challengers Bangalore teammates Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, calling them "Batman" and "Superman". Gayle praised the two bigwigs after they pulled off a nine-wicket victory against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on Monday.

Gayle broke his single-digit score jinx and smashed 49 off 31 balls laced with four sixes and five fours. But it was yet another Kohli-de Villiers show, with the two putting on a 115-run second wicket partnership. Kohli (75 off 51) and de Villiers (59 off 31) together hammered the KKR bowlers and chased 184.

"It's like Batman and Superman," Gayle said, about the fierce duo. "They are in the form of their life. They are doing a phenomenal job for the team. It's just fantastic. They were batting in a pressure situation as well. It's been a great team performance so far and those guys have played their part in all 12 games."

Kohli also surpassed Gayle's record of most runs in an IPL season (733) during his innings, and in 12 games he has tallied 752 runs at an average of 83.55.

Gayle said that his skipper might get past 1000 runs if the team makes it to the play-offs. "I must congratulate him on achieving this. Two more games and maybe he can get 900 runs. If we qualify for the playoffs, 1000 as well, who knows.

"He's a person who is never satisfied. He always wants to get better, which is good. It always isn't about power hitting. It's about right shot selection and he's very fit as well," he added, calling Kohli a "complete cricketer".

The West Indian acknowledged the fact that he has not been in a good form this season. He has played only six matches so far out of the 12, as he missed a couple of games due to paternity leave and was dropped from a few after he returned. "It's cricket. We, as players, know what's required. It's basic stuff, you keep it as simple as possible. The captain asks me to play fearless cricket," he said, adding that he was happy about Monday's performance.

Gayle, who has had a good run at the Eden Gardens, said that he likes playing at the ground as he knows the conditions well. "It's a hunting ground for me and I'm happy to be among runs today," said the Caribbean big-hitter, who has 476 runs in 10 innings on the ground.

RCB are inching towards the play-offs and have to win their next two games against Kings XI Punjab on 18 May and Delhi Daredevils on 22 May to qualify.