Chris Gayle was one of the shocking names that went unsold in the 2011 IPL auction. However, the 'Universal Boss' made one of the strongest comebacks in the same edition, which was after he was acquired by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) as a replacement for Dirk Nannes.
Gayle appeared to have lost everything that season, as he was left out of the West Indies team for a home series against Pakistan. During an interview with ESPNCricinfo, Gayle even pointed this series as a possible reason behind him going unsold at the auction. "It was surprising to be honest when no one took up the bid but based on my knowledge, they said we (West Indies) have a window where we have international cricket at that particular time. So I guess that was the reason, unless there are other things that I don't know about," Gayle had then told the publication after the match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals).
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But when the twist of fate called, the Caribbean star was in for a surprise — right in the thick of a nightclub party in his hometown in Jamaica. RCB chose Gayle as a left-field option after struggling with pacer Dirk Nannes' injury. The Caribbean legend was approached by team mentor Anil Kumble and former manager Vijay Mallya.
“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 recounted in an interaction with Shubhankar Mishra on his YouTube show 'Unplugged'.
“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,” added Gayle.
Gayle's signing was revealed on April 20, 2011, and the deadly southpaw quickly proved to be an instant hit with RCB. As RCB finished second that season, Gayle amassed 608 runs in just 12 innings, hitting two hundreds, three fifties, and 44 sixes.
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