"Thank you for making the IPL what it is today" - Fans on Twitter celebrate Chris Gayle on his 44th birthday

Chris Gayle celebrates his 44th birthday today (September 21), and fans on Twitter could not hold their excitement as wishes poured in for the West Indian superstar.

The ability to hit monstrous sixes and play with a free-spirited attitude on the field cemented Gayle as among the biggest crowd pullers in cricket history. With almost every one of the T20 batting records to his name, the southpaw is arguably the greatest of the format.

Yet, often forgotten amidst his heroics in the shortest format in franchise cricket and T20Is is Gayle's impeccable record in Tests and ODIs. The destructive batter is the all-time leading run-scorer for the West Indies in ODIs with 10,440 runs and 25 centuries.

Chris Gayle is also the nation's leading scorer in T20Is and is the only cricketer to have done a triplet of scoring a triple century in Tests, a double century in ODIs, and a century in T20Is.

Furthermore, the tall Jamaican proved his doubters wrong by boasting sensational numbers in the red-ball format. Gayle scored over 7,000 Test runs at an average of 42.18 with 15 centuries and an incredible two 300s.

The charismatic cricketer was also a vital cog in West Indies' twin T20 World Cup victories in 2012 and 2016.

With innumerable other records to his name, Chris Gayle is easily on the shortlist of the most entertaining batters and adored cricketers. Hence, it was no surprise that his birthday had social media buzzing with his videos and records.

Here are some of the best Twitter reactions in celebration of Chris Gayle's 44th birthday:

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Chris Gayle and T20 cricket - A match made in heaven

Gayle took to T20 cricket like no other batter before or since.

While Chris Gayle has several achievements in all formats, his numbers in T20s are second to none. The champion batter is the leading run-scorer in the shortest format, with over 14,500 runs and a record 22 centuries.

Being the leading six-hitter in the format, Gayle has recorded three figures in every possible T20 league around the globe. The 44-year-old has smashed two T20I centuries, including one in the inaugural 2007 World Cup against South Africa.

Gayle has scored an incredible six centuries in the IPL and five in the Bangladesh Premier League ( BPL). In addition, the revered batter has four Caribbean Premier League (CPL) hundreds and a century in the Big Bash League ( BBL).

The West Indian formed a special bond, especially with the Indian fans, through his magical performances for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL. Terms like Gayle Storm were constantly discussed during the early to mid-2010s, with the batter hitting monstrous sixes effortlessly.

Gayle was recruited by RCB midway through the 2011 season as a replacement for Dirk Nannes, and his IPL career took off from there.

During his seven-year run with the franchise from 2011 to 2017, the West Indian opener scored five centuries and amassed over 3,000 runs. Gayle was also the Orange Cap winner in 2011 and 2012 and helped the team reach two IPL finals in 2011 and 2016.

Overall, the Jamaican batter has scored close to 5,000 runs at an average of 39.72 and a strike rate of 149 with six centuries in his illustrious IPL career.