Chris Gayle, the charismatic former West Indies cricketer and a legend of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, is known for his explosive batting and larger-than-life persona. Beyond the big sixes and loud celebrations, Chris Gayle also shares deep respect and strong friendships with some of the modern greats of cricket including Virat Kohli. So when Virat Kohli announced his sudden retirement from Test cricket earlier this year, Chris Gayle was among those taken by surprise.
In a recent podcast, released on September 7, Chris Gayle shared his thoughts on Virat Kohli’s exit from the longest format. He said that Kohli retired “very early” from Tests and although the exact reasons were unknown to him, he firmly believed that the game would miss such a massive figure. Virat had stepped away from red-ball cricket in May after 123 Tests, amassing 9230 runs at an average of 46.85, with 30 centuries and 31 fifties. His decision came just weeks before India’s Test series in England, catching many off guard.
Chris Gayle did not just talk about Virat Kohli’s retirement but he also expressed joy at finally seeing him lift the IPL trophy. Having been part of several RCB campaigns alongside Kohli, Gayle recalled the heartbreaks of previous finals and said that he felt genuinely happy to see RCB win this time. He also mentioned how AB de Villiers, another RCB great, would have been just as thrilled about the team’s triumph.
This year, RCB clinched the title by defeating Punjab Kings in a tense final, defending a score of 191 and winning by just six runs. Chris Gayle looked back fondly at the memories he created with Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers in the RCB dressing room, calling them phenomenal players and even better people, humble, grounded and full of positive energy.
While ABD has already stepped away from professional cricket, Virat Kohli’s future now lies largely in franchise cricket, with RCB still being his home. For Chris Gayle, those shared memories and on-field moments with two cricketing giants will always remain special.
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