IPL 2023: 'Like the passion Virat Kohli has for the game and his work ethic' - Chris Gayle
IPL 2023: Virat Kohli has been a vital cog for RCB despite not winning the coveted trophy. Meanwhile, besides lauding his work ethic, former RCBian Chris Gayle has credited Kohli's passion for the game.
FollowSwashbuckling West Indian batter Chris Gayle praised Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli for his work ethic and passion. He recalled the intense competition between the two during their heyday at Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Gayle and Kohli spent several seasons together at the Indian Premier League (IPL), dominating the rival bowlers and entertaining the crowd at their home base, M Chinnaswamy Stadium, with as many as ten 100-run partnerships.
"Batting with Virat was just fantastic. I like the passion he has for the game. I like his passion and his work ethic. It's fantastic. You have to give him credit for that, and he wants to show it with his performances," Gayle said. In the 'My Time with Virat' episode on Jio Cinema, Gayle spoke about sharing the dressing room with Kohli, notching up numerous 100-run partnerships, and all the dance moves they perfected together.
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"Sharing a dressing room with Virat and the other guys, once I am there, I am always jovial and having a lot of fun, dancing and everything. I'd show them a few moves and realise Virat's got the skills. He can move, you know. But if it's an Indian dance, Chris Gayle will win. If it's a Caribbean dance, Chris Gayle will win!" said Gayle.
Their relationship was strong, but the pair could also be competitive. Gayle narrated a story about Kohli's reaction to the former earning the Orange Cap from him during a season. "One thing I remember Virat was the Orange Cap holder one particular season. I was getting runs, but he was more of the guy at the time, scoring many runs," he recalled.
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"Then, bam bam, two or three games, I became the Orange Cap holder, whatever the case. He was like, 'man; this guy just came in, bang bang bang, and became the Orange Cap holder?' It was just a funny thing that I'll always remember," Gayle reflected. Kohli and Gayle toyed with the opposition bowling attacks for years, sending the Chinnaswamy into a frenzy.
However, Gayle added that not only fours and sixes did the trick for them. He insisted they paid much attention to running between wickets, which yielded rich dividends. "We had a good understanding with each other. We complemented each other well. Sometimes people might say, 'Chris didn't run between the wickets'," he sounded.
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"I bat with Virat, and I ran between the wickets, so I don't want anyone to use this as an alibi to say we don't run between the wickets. We have over nine [ten] 100-run partnerships. Check how many times and how many twos and threes we took. I was the quickest one between the wickets. Don't get it twisted," he concluded. RCB is honouring its former players Gayle and AB de Villiers for their contributions to the franchise.
(With inputs from PTI)
