"Not Dhoni, Virat, Rohit, Raina or De Villiers"- Anil Kumble picks the undisputed G.O.A.T. of IPL
The Indian Premier League is all set to host its 16th edition with a game between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 31. After a successful season in 2022, the expectations for the coming edition are very high.
This edition is also special as all teams will play their games in a home-and-away format. That means fans will be able to witness their home team and favourite player after a wait of three years. Ten IPL franchises will compete in a highly competitive environment for the next two months across 12 different venues in India. A number of stars of the game have marked their presence in the last 15 IPL seasons and showcased their talents.
Whether the Indian stars like Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya or overseas cricketers like David Warner, AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle, Lasith Malinga, DJ Bravo, Kieron Pollard, and Andre Russell have made their impact in this league.
Thus, it is not easy to pick the "Greatest Player of All Time" among these because everyone has played a big role in the cash-rich league. However, former Indian test captain and legendary spinner Anil Kumble has picked an undisputed G.O.A.T. in the IPL so far.
In an interaction on Jio Cinema, when asked about the "G.O.A.T." in the IPL, Kumble said, "There are plenty of them; itβs difficult to pick just one. I can certainly look back and say probably a Chris Gayle, someone who is larger than life. The way he came across as a player! What he brought to RCB and the way he sorts of changed the whole powerplay and the power he brought to batting."
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Gayle was part of the IPL from its 2008 to 2021 editions. He represented KKR, RCB, and PBKS. Gayle played for PBKS from 2018 to 2021, when Kumble was the head coach of the team. The southpaw scored 4965 runs in 142 games at a batting average of 39.72 and a strike rate of 148.95.
He also holds the record for the highest individual score in IPL (of 175 not out) and the most IPL sixes (357). Gayle made six centuries and 31 half-centuries.