Chris Gayle, a batsman from the West Indies, scored an incredible 117 runs (57 runs) in the opening game of the inaugural T20 World Cup on September 11, 2007.
The world was exposed to Christopher Henry Gayle, the T20 mammoth, on September 11, 2007, when he scored an incredible century in the first-ever World Cup of cricket, laying the groundwork for the format’s triumph. In his fourth Twenty20 international, Gayle batted and showed little hesitation in dispatching a South African bowling attack led by seasoned players Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini.
At Johannesburg’s Wanderers Stadium, the southpaw ruthlessly destroyed Proteas bowlers, sending the ball soaring into the stands with his powerful blows. As the West Indies opener reduced the significance of boundaries at the ground by sending the ball soaring into the night sky and captivating the supporters, the audience was spotted scrambling for shelter.
The fast-paced action that took place on the 22 yards of land in Johannesburg had the fans enthralled, and what followed was a picture-perfect representation of what the T20 format would entail for them going forward. After he debuted his aggressive strokeplay against South Africa with a stunning 117 (57) that had ten sixes and seven fours, Gayle would go on to play a crucial role in the format’s global popularity.
When Brendon McCullum and Richard Levi smashed the world record in 2012, the score of 117 and the accomplishment of ten sixes stood as the record. With the help of the “Gayle Storm,” West Indies achieved an incredible 205/6 while batting first. To beat the West Indies’ score, one more incredible hit from one of the Protean batters was required.
South Africa successfully breaks records
Herschelle Gibbs, the go-to rescuer in South Africa, raised his hand for his team once more and scorched a remarkable 90* (55) with 14 fours and two sixes.
With Justin Kemp providing strong assistance with a knock of 46*(22), the two had a remarkable 120-run partnership off just 57 balls, which enabled their team to chase down 206 in just 17.4 overs and write their name in history as the team that completed the then-highest successful chase in Twenty20 Internationals. Gayle’s historic performance came to an unfortunate end as a result, yet despite this, she was still named Player of the Match for igniting the competition right away.
