In this history of the ICC T20 World Cup, this player leads the table when it comes to scoring most sixes in a single innings
It is a known fact that the T20 format is the quickest format in the cricket realm, and therefore, every batsman tries to hit every ball for a boundary. After all, hitting hard is the only way to post a huge target because there are only 120 deliveries to be played. Although the scenario changes a little when it comes to the ICC T20 World Cup, some batsmen play fearlessly and go for the boundaries no matter what is at stake.
In the following paragraphs, we take a look at the player who hit 11 sixes in a single innings, the maximum to date in the history of the ICC T20 World Cup.
The day was March 16, 2016, when the West Indies collided with England in the Super 10 Group 1 at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Batting first, England posted a decent target of 182 runs, thanks to Joe Root's 48 runs off 36 balls. Not to forget, the collective efforts of Alex Hales (28), Joe Buttler (30) and Eoin Morgan (27) also helped England post a challenge to the West Indies.
However, one player from the Indies was determined to steal the show, and he is fondly known as the "Universe Boss". Opening the innings alongside Johnson Charles, Chris Gayle took the onus on himself and started hitting in all directions. Charles went home for a duck, but Marlon Samuels supported Gayle from the other end.
Chris Gayle stayed on the crease till the last ball of the match, facing 48 throws. He completed an exact century, which included four boundaries and 11 staggering sixes, the highest-ever recorded in the tournament's history, which is still intact to date. Gayle's inning also witnessed a whopping strike rate of 208.33.
Gayle was awarded the Player of the Match for his brilliant knock, and after receiving the award, he said, "We wanted to stay ahead of the run-rate, pleased to finish the game and not leave it to anyone else. I was pumped today. Before I went out, Sulieman Benn said 'entertain me'."
In 2016, the two teams again met in the finale on Aril 3, 2016 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. West Indies repeated history, winning the finale against England but unfortunately, Gayle fell short scoring only four runs. However, Marlon Samuels continued his form, scoring crucial 85 runs off 66 balls.
For the unversed souls, Gayle holds another significant record in the tournament's history. Till date, he is the only player to have scored two centuries in the competition. While the century against England was his second, his first century was against South Africa in the first-ever T20 World Cup game on September 11, 2007 at Johannesburg.
Last but not least, Gayle is also part of an elite list of players who have won the T20 World Cup twice because West Indies and England are the only teams to lift the title on two different occasions.
