KL Rahul will give Kohli a run for his money: Gayle

Gayle spoke highly of his Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) teammate, KL Rahul, who has cemented his place in the Test squad after his performance in the West Indies. “Rahul is a superb player and is fantastic in all formats of the game. He is the one to watch out for in the future. He is the next man to give Virat Kohli a run for his money. He has worked extremely hard on his game and he has had a great IPL too. He has to continue and keep putting in the hard work,” said the RCB batsman. 

Gayle, who was a part of the team which won the T20 World Cup earlier this year, revealed the secret behind the West Indies’ domination in the T20 format. 

“The men’s T20 team has Chris Gayle – which has a huge impact. We are naturally talented – we have superb fielders and some good all-rounders – definitely, we have everything going for us. With that mixture, it is going to be difficult to beat West Indies in this format,” added the all-rounder. 

Speaking about the TNPL, Gayle said the local league format will benefit many youngsters. “TNPL is a great cause and from what I’ve heard, it’s getting bigger also. I’m hoping to watch a few games and hopefully, I’ll enjoy it,” said the hard-hitting batsman. 

The cricketer, who is promoting the league, offered advice to budding players. “The game has changed. It’s business now. We can make a living out of playing cricket but at the same time, you need something to fall back on. One major injury and you could be out of the game. You got to be mentally prepared for the game of cricket and that’s not an easy task,” said Gayle, who recently launched his autobiography, ‘Six Machine’. 

Gayle shares a close camaraderie with fellow countryman and Olympian Usain Bolt. Interestingly, Bolt had bowled out the formidable batsman in a charity match. Speaking of Bolt, Gayle said, “Usain Bolt has achieved everything. He’s made our country proud.”