Gayle hit the fastest century, off just 30 balls, and the highest-ever individual score in a T20 game, surpassing Kolkata Knight Riders’ Brendon McCullum, who hit 158 off 73 balls against RCB at this very Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Incidentally, RCB’s total of 263 for five was also the highest-ever total in any T20 game.
Chasing a T20 world record target of 264, Pune could manage only 133 for nine in the allotted 20 overs, paving the way for Bangalore to post the biggest IPL victory in terms of runs.
Put into bat, it was ‘Gayle Force’ that blew away the Pune Warriors as the big-bodied Jamaican showed his power-hitting ability as he struck 17 sixes and 13 fours en route to the fastest ever T20 century in only 30 balls. Of the 175 runs, 154 runs came in boundaries.
Typically, he brought up his century with a six off Ashok Dinda that sailed over the stadium and in the process also damaged the roof.
The carnage started from the second over bowled by rookie paceman Ishwar Pandey. Playing his first IPL match, Pandey found out what top-level cricket was all about as Gayle hit him for five boundaries taking 21 runs of that over.
Mitchell Marsh and Aaron Finch got even worst treatments as they went for 28 and 29 runs in their respective overs as both were clobbered for four sixes each.
There was mimumum fuss as usual in Gayle’s batting as he barely had any footwork. It was just stand and deliver as the ball kept on sailing into the stands and there was little that skipper Finch could have done.
Intimidated by this mayhem, the Pune bowlers could only go through the motion. All the three changes made by Pune backfired as Pandey gave away 33 in two overs while left-arm spinner Ali Murtaza conceded 45 from his two overs.
Brief Scores:
Royal Challengers Bangalore: 263 for five in 20 overs (Chris Gayle unbeaten 175, Tilakaratne Dilshan 33; Ashok Dinda 2/48).
Pune Warriors: 133 for nine in 20 overs (Steven Smith 41, Mitchell Marsh 25; Chris Gayle 2/5).
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