A thrusting Jamaican left-hander, Gayle earned himself a black mark on his first senior tour - to England in 2000 - where the new boys were felt to be insufficiently respectful of their elders. But a lack of respect, for opposition bowlers at least, has served Gayle well since then. Tall and imposing at the crease, he loves to carve through the covers off either foot, and has the ability to decimate the figures of even the thriftiest of opening bowlers. And in this era of Twenty20 cricket, Gayle is the batsman who has thrived like no other.

Among his many strengths, perhaps the biggest one is his outstanding hand-eye coordination, which allows Gayle to regularly hit even good-length deliveries for boundaries. Technique and footwork aren't his greatest assets, but most often he compensates with other skills. No batsman has taken to the 20-over format like he has. He showed early signs of his liking for that format by smashing the first century in Twenty20 internationals - a 57-ball 117 against South Africa in the World Twenty20 in 2007 - and when Twenty20 leagues mushroomed the world over and sought international stars, Gayle was the biggest beneficiary.

Over two seasons - 2011 and 2012 - of the IPL, he became easily the most feared batsman of the league, smashing more hundreds and sixes than any other batsman, by far. When he carted Pune Warriors all over the ground to score an unbeaten 175 in IPL 2013, it felt right that he should finally own the record for highest individual score, fastest century, and most sixes in a Twenty20 innings, because no batsman has dominated Twenty20 cricket like he has.

Gayle's free-stroking, aggressive style is obviously best suited for limited-overs cricket, but that doesn't mean he hasn't cut it as a Test batsman. When he has turned up for West Indies, his pugnacious approach has become an attacking weapon in its own right, in what's been a lean era for West Indian cricket. His 79-ball century at Cape Town in January 2004, on the back of a South African first innings of 532, was typical of his no-holds-barred approach. However, Gayle has also shown the ability to bat long periods and the hunger to make big scores. In 2009 against Australia, Gayle batted almost seven-and-a-half hours in scoring an unbeaten 165 to save the Test in Adelaide; in the very next game, though, he smashed the fifth-fastest Test century - off 70 balls - to indicate that quick-scoring remained his preferred method. Next year he batted almost ten hours and scored 333 against Sri Lanka and Muralitharan in Galle, becoming only the fourth batsman to score two triples in Tests, thus proving again his ability to bat long periods.

And then there is also his brisk non-turning offspin, with which he has turned himself into a genuine allrounder in limited-overs cricket. His tendency to stay aloof on the field sometimes suggests he isn't interested in the proceedings, but his relaxed approached was good for the team whenever he led West Indies. However, West Indies have missed his services far too often due his differences with their board. During his exile, he was a Twenty20 regular in various leagues around the world, entertaining crowds in Australia, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. After a long spell out from international cricket he returned strongly in 2012 on the tour of England and subsequently at home against New Zealand.
ESPNcricinfo staff

• September 1999
  An unflattering start
  • Makes his international debut in a series of one-dayers against India and Pakistan in Toronto. Has a horror run in the middle order, reaching double-figures only once in five innings.
    
• July 20, 2000
  Ice-cool Gayle
  • Picks up his first Man-of-the-Match award, after bowling a nerveless final over in a one-dayer against England to hand West Indies a three-run victory in Nottingham.
    
• February 19, 2001
  Quadruple-century stand
  • Representing Jamaica in a Busta Cup match against West Indies B, Gayle racks up an unbroken 425-run stand for the first wicket with Leon Garrick, the first 400-plus partnership in the region's history.
    
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• March 9-13, 2001
  Finding his feet
  • Returning to Tests after nine months, he makes his first significant contribution in the format, a power-packed 81 against South Africa in Guyana.
    
• July 19-22, 2001
  Toying with Zimbabwe
  • Blasts 34 boundaries on his way to his maiden Test century, a 175 against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, to set up an innings-and-176-run mauling.
    
• January 31-February 4, 2002
  A high during a low spell
  • After three ducks in a row against Sri Lanka, Gayle top scores with boundary-filled 60s in both innings against Pakistan in Sharjah, but can't save West Indies from going down by 170 runs. Only thrice does he go past 15 in his next ten innings.
    
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• June 28-July 2, 2002
  A dashing double
  • Posts his first Test double century against New Zealand in Grenada, with his second hundred coming off only 115 deliveries. It gives West Indies the first-innings lead but isn't enough to set up a win that was needed to save the series.
    
• November 2002
  Hitting the high notes
  • Has a spectacular run in a one-day series in India, blasting 103, 72, 140 and 101 in consecutive matches, though only two of those efforts end in West Indian victories in a high-scoring series.
    
• April 6, 2003
  Double-wicket trouble
  • Is axed for allegedly violating an eligibility rule that demanded playing in a West Indies domestic tournament for selection to the senior side. He had missed the final, featuring his Jamaican side, and instead participated in an international double-wicket tournament in St.Lucia. Returns after missing two Tests against Australia.
    
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• June 1, 2003
  The all-round Gayle
  • Takes five wickets for the first time at the international level to curtail Australia to 247 during a one-dayer in Grenada. Then returns to slap 60 brisk runs as West Indies romp to one of their biggest wins over the world champions. Within a year, he completes the climb to No. 1 allrounder in ODIs.
    
• January 2-6, 2004
  Cape Town carnage
  • Shows off his hitting ability by carting the ninth quickest Test century - off 79 deliveries - against South Africa in Cape Town. He smashes 19 fours and a six as West Indies reach 178 for 1 in the 35 overs before stumps on the second day.
    
• March 2005
  Sponsorship dispute
  • Is among the senior players dropped from the Tests against South Africa because he has a personal contract with Cable & Wireless, a rival to official sponsor Digicel. After weeks of high drama, and Gayle and Co missing the first Test, the dispute is resolved after Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan end their contracts.
    
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• April 29 - May 3, 2005
  Triple delight
  • Makes the highest Test score against South Africa (317) on the flattest of tracks at the Antigua Recreation Ground. His ten-and-a-half hour effort is the highlight of West Indies' mammoth 747 during which all 11 South Africa players have a bowl.
    
• November 2, 2006
  Grounding South Africa
  • In the semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy in Jaipur, West Indies are set a seemingly challenging target of 259 on a pitch where the ball isn't coming on to the bat. Gayle turns it into a no-contest with a near run-a-ball 133 that seals a place in the final with six overs to go.
    
• June 14, 2007
  At the helm
  • Is handed the captaincy of West Indies for their limited-overs series in England. He impresses with his leadership skills but within a week there's controversy as he criticises the board over arrangements for the tour. Five months later, he takes over as captain in all formats.
    
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• September 11, 2007
  Made for Twenty20
  • Blasts the first international Twenty20 century in the opening match of the inaugural World Twenty20, against South Africa in Johannesburg, but his effort is overshadowed by Herschelle Gibbs' 90 as the home side overhaul the target of 206.
    
• August 2008
  Captain no more?
  • Sends a letter of resignation to the WICB, reportedly because of unhappiness with the selection policy during the just-concluded Australia series. Changes his mind two weeks later and continues as captain of West Indies.
    
• November 1, 2008
  Millionaire Superstars
  • The Stanford Superstars storm to a 10-wicket win over England in Antigua, and with it the US$20 million bounty. Captain Gayle stars with an unbeaten 45-ball 65.
    
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• December 19-23, 2008
  Ending a drought
  • Makes his first Test century in three-and-a-half years with an uncharacteristically watchful 197 in the second innings against New Zealand in Napier. It ensures West Indies set a large enough target to ensure a draw.
    
• May 13, 2009
  Not a fan of Tests
  • Lands in England only 48 hours before a Test series due to an extended stint with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. Sparks outrage a week later when he says he "wouldn't be so sad" if Tests vanished in favour of Twenty20s.
    
• June 6, 2009
  Blowing Australia away
  • In an innings of raw, unadulterated power, he bludgeons 88 off 50 deliveries to power West Indies past Australia in their campaign opener of the World Twenty20 at The Oval. The highlight of the innings is a Brett Lee over, which Gayle clobbers for 27 runs.
    
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• November 2, 2009
  Back in the saddle
  • A contractual dispute between leading West Indian players and the region's board means Gayle and the entire first-choice squad is axed for the series against Bangladesh and the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa. Gayle returns as captain for the tour of Australia after the players end their strike.
    
• December 2009
  Steely resolve
  • After tumbling to defeat in three days in the first Test against Australia, he revives the team with a restrained century in the second innings of the next Test in Adelaide. He carries the bat for a patient 165 which gives West Indies an outside chance of winning. Then, he whips up the fifth-fastest Test century in the next game in Perth, a match Australia go on to win narrowly.
    
• May-June 2010
  An ordinary summer
  • Gayle, who blitzed Australia in the 2009 World Twenty20, was a lesser force in the third edition of the tournament. He also struggled against South Africa in the series that followed as the visitors came out on top comfortably winning the Tests 2-0 and the ODIs 5-0.
    
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• November 15-16, 2010
  Gayle storms Galle
  • Without Muttiah Muralitharan, Sri Lanka had no answer to Gayle's power hitting in the first Test. Gayle smashed 34 fours and nine sixes on his way to becoming only the fourth batsman to score two triple-centuries. West Indies came through with a 0-0 draw in a rain-affected Test series.
    
• February-March 2011
  A forgettable World Cup
  • Gayle played four matches and made one half-century in the game against Netherlands. He did not play in West Indies' loss against India but was back for the quarter-finals where West Indies were crushed by Pakistan. Gayle's early dismissal sparked a collapse as West Indies were bowled out for 112 eventually losing by ten wickets.
    
• April-May 2011
  Lording over the IPL
  • After being left out of the squad to face Pakistan, Gayle turned his attention to the IPL and topped the run-scoring charts. Gayle, who scored 608 runs at an average of 67.55 and a superb strike rate of 183.13, flopped in the final ending Royal Challengers' hopes.
    
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• June-July 2011
  The impasse continues
  • The West Indies Cricket Board failed to have any conclusive discussions with Gayle after a radio interview in which he was quite critical of the selectors. The standoff continued through July and August with both parties unable to reach a breakthrough. Subsequently, Gayle was ignored for the Test and ODI squads to tour Bangladesh in October.
    
• November 2011
  Gayle-less West Indies struggle
  • On the tour of India, an inexperienced West Indies team fought hard but were far from threatening on the batting front. Gayle's absence was definitely felt in the Tests as the tourists collapsed three times under 200.
    
• December 2011
  A T20 star
  • Success in the IPL had already made Gayle a hot property in the Twenty-20 format. Following omission from the West Indies squad in India, Gayle moved on to play T20 matches in Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and the Big Bash in Australia. Needless to say, he proved his worth in all tournaments.
    
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• March 2012
  Solution in sight?
  • The WICB and Gayle held discussions again and this time, there was some progress. Gayle, unavailable for national duty for the entire duration of the IPL, said he was ready to forego his contract with Somerset to be able to feature in the limited-over leg of the England tour.
    
• April-May 2012
  An exceptional IPL
  • Gayle went one better in IPL 2012 smashing 59 sixes and ending as the tournament's highest run-getter once again, with 733 runs. Royal Challengers, though, failed to repeat their 2011 performance and missed qualifying for the play-offs. On the Test front, the West Indies' batting line-up without Gayle hardly had an impact in the home series against Australia.
    
• June 5, 2012
  End of the standoff
  • Finally, after spending 15 months out of international cricket, Gayle was recalled by the WICB for the limited-overs segment of the England tour. The decision was made after Gayle and his agent met with the selectors in St Vincent.
    
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• October 5, 2012
  Australia blown away
  • Gayle's unbeaten 75 off 41 balls is enough to take care of Australia in the semi-finals of the ICC World Twenty20. Gayle faces only 41 balls in the entire innings, but his knock propels West Indies to 205, which is enough to win them the match by 74 runs.
    
• April 23, 2013
  175* in 66 balls
  • Records tumble at the Chinnaswamy Stadium as Gayle mounts a terrifying assault on Pune Warriors' bowlers in IPL 2013. He ends up with the highest Twenty20 score, the fastest century (30 balls) and the most sixes in an innings (17). Royal Challengers also end up with 263, the highest total in Twenty20 matches.
    
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