Gilchrist hails Gayle the game-destroyer

Gayle, a game-destroyer - Gilchrist
Former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist has said Chris Gayle is more than just a game changer. Gilchrist, captain of Kings XI Punjab in the IPL, once dominated the best attacks. He now feels Gayle does the same, and more, as he did on April 23 when he trampled Pune Warriors' bowling attack on the way to a record 30-ball century.

Gayle, who moved from Kolkata Knight Riders to Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2011, has been the league's best batsmen for the past three years, including this season, in terms of runs, strike rate and the number of sixes he has hit. "Game-changer? Gayle's a game-destroyer... He's giving not only bowlers nightmares but IPL captains too. Clearly he's taken T20 batting to a new level. The way he's batting is extraordinary and the subcontinental conditions suit him," Gilchrist told the Telegraph.

According to Gilchrist, the Gayle way is to combine his massive strength with opportune timing in order to carry out the strikes and subsequently flatten the opposition. "Timing has to [be] included [in] the way Gayle times his assault... He could take it easy for the first 10-15 balls or, like the other day, go ballistic straightaway."

Despite being a Gayle fan, Gilchrist pointed out that the West Indies batsman still had to prove his authority across different conditions. As an example he cited Gayle's lean form during the Big Bash earlier this year, where he averaged just 19.57 with one fifty for Sydney Thunder. "Wickets here (India) are similar to those in the Caribbean, but he didn't do as well in the Big Bash. It's not that he doesn't have the skill to succeed in Australia, but he didn't make an impact in the last Big Bash. It will be interesting to see if Gayle can alter his game to suit different conditions."

Kallis recommends new faces
Languishing in seventh position on the points table, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders are in a precarious situation ahead of their match against Rajasthan Royals at home. Gautam Gambhir's men have now lost three matches in a row, including the last two at the Eden Gardens. One way to get out of the slump is to introduce new personnel into the line-up. That is the opinion of South African batsman Jacques Kallis, one of the senior Knight Riders. "It may be time to make some changes. The introduction of fresh faces can be effective," Kallis wrote in his column in the Times of India.

With eight matches remaining after Friday's contest, Kallis has suggested that there is no point pressing the panic button. A better solution is to focus on the process and execute it well. "The danger of being at the wrong end of the table is that you start questioning everything, even the things that are working well. The coach and the selectors may decide to change the starting XI but I'm convinced that our preparation has been as good as it can be."