'Super friendship' - Former RCB owner Vijay Mallya meets Chris Gayle

Former owner of the Indian Premier League franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore, Vijay Mallya recently met Caribbean cricketing legend Chris Gayle, who was a member of RCB for most of his time at the cash-rich event, before moving to the Punjab-based franchise.

The West Indies hitter was phenomenal for RCB throughout the years in the lucrative competition, and together with former South African captain AB de Villiers, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame this year. The best of Gayle’s performances in the IPL came during the time he served RCB as he earned the title of ‘Universe Boss’.

“Great to catch up with my good friend Christopher Henry Gayle @henrygayle, the Universe Boss. Super friendship since I recruited him for RCB. Best acquisition of a player ever” captioned Mallya.

Notably, liquor tycoon Mallya is sought in India on suspicion of fraud and money laundering but is now free on bail in the UK pending the outcome of a private judicial proceeding.

Chris Gayle was sensational for RCB

Gayle joined RCB in 2011 and was associated with the team till 2017. With 3420 runs scored in 91 games at an average of 43.29 and a strike rate of 154.40, including 21 half-centuries and five centuries, he dominated the IPL while playing for the RCB. While representing RCB, the flashy batter also hit a spectacular unbeaten 175 against Pune Warriors, a knock that consisted of 13 fours and 17 massive sixes. To date, it is the highest individual score in the 15-year history of the tournament.

Meanwhile, Gayle dropped out of the IPL 2022 despite being one of the most well-known players in the Indian T20 tournament, stating that he hadn’t been treated fairly in prior years given his accomplishments. The left-hander participated in 10 games for the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in IPL 2021, amassing 193 runs at a strike rate of 125.32. He had a strike rate of 137.14 and collected 288 runs in seven games the season before.

Gayle is expected to return in the IPL 2023, as he had confirmed it by sharing a picture of him working out, saying he was preparing for the next season. The prolific batter also expressed his desire to play for either RCB or PBKS and help the teams win the elusive IPL title.