Former West Indies legend Chris Gayle has revealed the story behind his dramatic entry into Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the 2011 IPL. Speaking on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast, Gayle recalled that he was at a nightclub in Jamaica when he got the life-changing call from RCB.
“2011, when I got a call, I was at a nightclub in Jamaica. Whatever happened with the breakdown with West Indies Cricket, where I was not even selected for a home series against Pakistan. Coming from a World Cup loss and then had an injury too. I was very disappointed. So, long story short, I was at a nightclub and that time, I wasn’t playing any cricket,” Gayle said.
Before joining RCB, Gayle had played for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), but his stint there was far from memorable. In the 2011 season auction, he went unsold. However, after RCB’s Dirk Nannes got injured, the franchise turned to Gayle as a replacement — a move that would change both his career and the team’s history.
The left-hander dominated immediately, scoring 608 runs in just 12 matches at an astonishing average of 67.55 and a strike rate of 183.13. His tally included two centuries and three half-centuries, earning him the Orange Cap that season.
Gayle also shared more details about that day when RCB reached out.
“I got a call. It was Vijay Mallya and Anil Kumble. They asked me if I was fit. I was like, ‘Is this for real?’ I said, ‘Yes, I am fit.’ They said, ‘If you’re fit, what we need you to do is go to the embassy tomorrow and get the visa.’ But I said tomorrow is Saturday. They said, ‘Don’t worry about that. Just turn up.’ I turned up next day, got my visa and then took my flight and you know, Easter started from that time,” Gayle recalled.
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