IPL 2018: Chris Gayle thanks Virender Sehwag for saving the Indian Premier League

Chris Gayle and Kings XI Punjab are on a high right now. Gayle scored his 21st T20 century on Thursday night at Mohali's PCA Stadium taking his team to another victory.  

Gayle, the leading run-scorer in Twenty20 cricket, scored the first century of IPL 2018. He ended up with 104 runs not out off 63 balls. Gayle, who made his KXIP debut in the previous match, has now scored 167 runs in his two innings.

While accepting his Man of the Match award, Gayle thanked KXIP director of cricket operations Virender Sehwag for "saving the IPL".

Gayle had been released by Royal Challengers Bangalore before IPL 2018 player auction in January. Chris Gayle had gone unsold on day one of the IPL players auction. KXIP made a bid for him on the second day and got him for his base price of Rs 2 crore. 

It is believed that it was Sehwag who decided to bid for Gayle.

So Gayle thanked Sehwag on Thursday. 

"I think Virender Sehwag saved the IPL by picking me," said Gayle with a big smile. 

"Sehwag said in an interview: If Chris wins you two games, we have our monies worth. I need to have a chat with him about that!," Gayle said at the post-match presentation ceremony."

He added, "Everyone says I have a lot to prove. I am just here to put some respect on my name."

Sehwag tweeted the same a little while later and Gayle responded with "Yes!"

I saved the IPL by picking - @henrygayle .

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) April 19, 2018

 

Yes! https://t.co/avqfCTHfEY

— Chris Gayle (@henrygayle) April 19, 2018

The big-hitting opener also said he was very committed to his new IPL team but he needed help to stay fit for matches being played in the Punjab heat. "I'm very dedicated. Since joining Kings XI, Sehwag told me to stick with the yoga guy and a massage guy, that's the secret, I guess," he said.