Chris Gayle: Test Triple Century, T20 Biggest Sixes, and the Most Destructive Opening Batter
Chris Gayle (West Indies) holds the record for the highest individual T20I score (117* vs South Africa, 2007), the highest IPL innings (175* off 66 balls, RCB vs PWI, 2013), and scored a Test triple century (333 vs Sri Lanka, Galle, 2010). He is the only player to score a triple century in Tests and a century in both T20Is and ODIs. Known as 'The Universe Boss', he played 103 Tests and 301 ODIs for West Indies and numerous T20 franchise leagues globally.
Chris Gayle is cricket's most explosive batsman across all formats. He is the only player to score a Test triple century (333 vs Sri Lanka), a T20I century (117* vs South Africa), and a T20 franchise hundred (175* in IPL). His power-hitting statistics in T20 cricket — 1,000+ international T20 sixes — are unmatched in the history of the game.
The Test Triple Century
Gayle's 333 vs Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium in November 2010 is West Indies' highest individual Test score. He batted for 643 minutes, faced 437 balls, and hit 34 fours and 9 sixes. West Indies declared at 580/9; the match ended in a draw. The innings came during a period when West Indies Test cricket was struggling, and Gayle's triple century was a reminder of his Test class that was sometimes overshadowed by his T20 celebrity.
The IPL Record
On 23 April 2013 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, Gayle scored 175* off 66 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Pune Warriors — the highest score in IPL history and in all T20 franchise cricket globally. The innings included 17 sixes and 14 fours; his century came in 30 balls (one of the fastest in T20 history). He was dropped off the very first ball he faced (a sitter at mid-on) — had he been caught, the innings would never have happened. RCB scored 263/5; Pune were bowled out for 133.
Frequently asked questions
What are the LBW rules in cricket, when is a batsman given out LBW, and what role does DRS play in LBW decisions?
LBW rules in cricket: complete explanation. LBW (Leg Before Wicket) is one of cricket's most complex rules — it dismisses a batter when the ball hits their body (not the bat) and would have gone on to hit the stumps. The Laws of Cricket (Law 36) require ALL of the following conditions to be met for an LBW to be given: (1) The ball must not have first touched the bat or glove before striking the body. (2) The ball must not be going down leg — it must pitch on the stumps line or off side of the batsman. If it pitches outside leg stump, it cannot be LBW. (3) The point of impact must be in line with the stumps (OR outside off stump, if the batsman is playing a shot). Exception: if the batsman is NOT playing a shot (padding away), the impact can be outside off stump and LBW can still apply. (4) The ball must be going on to hit the stumps — as determined by the umpire's judgment (or DRS technology). The benefit-of-the-doubt issue: before DRS, umpires had to judge trajectory by eye. Tall spinners (Muralitharan) and fast bowlers attacking the stumps created many marginal LBW decisions. DRS (Decision Review System): introduced ICC-wide from 2015 onward. Teams can challenge the on-field umpire's LBW decision. The review process: (a) Ultra-edge checks if the ball hit the bat first. (b) Ball-tracking (Hawk-Eye) models the ball's path using the last three frames before impact to project where it would have hit. (c) If the projected path shows the ball hitting less than 50% of the stumps, the on-field decision is upheld ('umpire's call'). This means some decisions that would be 'technically hitting the stumps' are still given not-out if they're close. The 'umpire's call' concept is controversial because it means the same trajectory can produce different verdicts depending on who made the on-field call.