'You just can’t seem to get him. He's very unique': Gayle snubs Harbhajan, Ashwin to pick greatest Indian bowler in IPL

Jan 31, 2023 05:14 PM IST

Gayle picked a bowler who has never dismissed him, yet for the Windies legend, he was the toughest he has faced.

The GOAT discussion, in any sports, has always entertained fans. Hence, veteran cricketers Suresh Raina, Chris Gayle, Robin Uthappa, Anil Kumble, Parthiv Patel, and Scott Styris sat to pick the greatest players in history of Indian Premier League. Among those discussions were the one that pertained to the greatest ever Indian bowler in IPL and while others threw in a lot many names Gayle put the discussion to bed by picking the toughest bowler he has ever faced.

Harbhajan Singh; Chris Gayle; R Ashwin
Harbhajan Singh; Chris Gayle; R Ashwin

If your guesses include Harbhajan Singh or R Ashwin, then both are wrong. It's only logical to name the two off-spinners who have both dismissed Gayle the most number of times in IPL, five each, with Ashwin being the more menacing with his average of just 10.6, but Gayle picked a bowler who has never dismissed him, yet for the Windies legend, he was the toughest he has faced.

ALSO READ: 'Ashram hai yeh': Watch Kohli asks fans to not shoot video as former India skipper obliges to sign autographs

Raina, Uthappa and Parthiv threw in names like Harbhajan, Zaheer Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal. Amit Mishra and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Styris, who was leading the discussion, turned to Gayle to ask him who is the toughest he has faced.

“Bumrah absolutely. I am not gonna pick an off-spinner like Bhajji or Ashwin, but definitely Bumrah. You just can’t

seem to get him. Difficult to play his slow ball, his variations are very, very unique. I pick Bumrah,” he said.

In 10 IPL encounters, Bumrah has conceded 37 runs in 48 balls against Gayle, whose strike rate is the lowest amongst bowlers who he has faced at least in five innings.

Meanwhile, Raina was hailed by Anil Kumble and the panel as the greatest Indian batsman in IPL history. Styris elaborated on that position and addressed Raina directly to tell him, “Your match-winning ability and the way you’ve led CSK, I think it’s a pretty easy decision.”

The panel discussed a few more Indian batsmen who could stake a claim to that position, with Uthappa naming Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, while Parthiv recognized Shikhar Dhawan’s consistency. However, Raina was the eventual choice.

Catch all the Latest Cricket News and Live score along with IPL 2023 and IPL schedule related updates on Hindustan Times
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    At HT Sports Desk, passionate reporters work round the clock to provide detailed updates from the world of sports. Expect nuanced match reports, previews,reviews, technical analysis based on statistics, the latest social media trends, expert opinions on cricket, football, tennis, badminton, hockey,motorsports, wrestling, boxing, shooting, athletics and much more.

SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
×
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
My Offers
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Tuesday, May 30, 2023
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Register Free and get Exciting Deals