IPL 2018: 4 surprise batting packages of the tournament so far

#4 Chris Gayle

Gayle has given a tight slap to his critics with his performance so far in the IPL 18

The ‘Universe Boss’ returning to his smacking ways has been the talking point of the tournament so far. He was not even picked in the starting rounds of the IPL 2018 auctions but Kings XI Punjab must be thanking their stars for raising the beacon for Chris Gayle right at the fag-end of the marquee auctions earlier this year. He was raring to get a go and teach the other franchises a lesson for ignoring him but the Kings XI skipper, Ravi Ashwin compounded that hunger even more by omitting him from the first three games.

That move really fired him up and now after four games in the tournament, he finds himself among the top run-getters of the tournament with a tally of 252 runs, which have come at an astonishing average of 126. The effect of his demonic charge can be gauged by the fact that even the best bowling unit in the tournament, Sunrisers Hyderabad, failed to contain him as he bludgeoned his way to a hundred. What is even more striking is that he has forged a fearsome opening pair with KL Rahul. The duo has opened the Kings XI batting on four occasions and have registered fifty-plus scores on each one of them. He is still not done with his exploits as he has just shown the trailer for what is to come out of his willow as the tournament progresses.