West Indies star batsman Chris Gayle insists he has not lost any of the passion or hunger for the sport of cricket, despite being relegated to the Indian Premier League (IPL) sidelines so far this season.
The 38-year-old Gayle, the record T20 runs scorer, almost missed out on the tournament entirely as a recent dip in form for the last couple of seasons had made the batsman less attractive for IPL suitors.
Gayle was eventually rescued in the third round of the draft by Kings IX Punjab, but not drafted in the capacity that he had grown accustomed to as one of the IPL’s most explosive players. The big left-hander was instead picked up by the franchise as a reserve.
Despite no longer being in the limelight Gayle maintains he is still eager to get out on the pitch and perform at a high level and eagerly awaits the opportunity.
“I am fit and still hungry for the game. The fans always want to see entertainment as much as possible, so I am trying to stay around for as long as possible,” said Gayle.
“I had a good net session in the last couple of days, fitting in perfectly with the guys,” the Jamaican said. “I am looking forward for an opportunity to go in the middle. I am going to wait patiently and see how it comes along,” he added.
“Whenever I go to bat, everyone expects me to score a hundred or hit lot of sixes. Given an opportunity, I’ll do my thing again.” (SportsMax)
