THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After cheering on Kochi Blue Tigers players who won a tight match against Thrissur Titans in the Kerala Cricket League on Saturday, former West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle was about to enter the gallery when he met an old friend — S Sreesanth.
Smiling wide and hugging tight, the duo entered the ground again. Amid thumping cheer from spectators, the duo went to the pitch, once again as batter and bowler years later.
One after the other, sixes flew into the gallery, reminding why he is celebrated as the ‘Universal Boss of Cricket’. The Greenfield Stadium at Kariavattom became a ground of nostalgic moments for millennials and early Gen-Zs, where their favourite cricketers showed a teaser of their prime.
Gayle had come to attend the match not just as a former cricketer, but also as co-owner of the Blue Tigers team. Along with his co-owner Subash Manuel and Kollam Sailors co-owner Sreesanth, the 333-jersey-donning player hit four sixes and a boundary in the first over. After the few friendly overs, Gayle gave a special moment for Malayalis to c
herish: as demonstrated by Sreesanth, he kept his shoulders slanting and said the Mohanlal dialogue ‘Entha mone Dinesha’.
When asked to give a final word to his fans here, he said ‘Ee Sala Cup Namde’, the famous punch line of his IPL team Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Giving the impression of a mentor-big brother for the Blue Tigers, Gayle was also seen supporting the players after they won the match, especially the player of the match, Karthik B Nair, who took three key wickets in the match.
Addressing a press meet earlier on the day, Gayle expressed his happiness at being able to continue in the field of cricket even after retirement.
“Kerala and India have abundant talent, which is nothing new to me,” he said, highlighting the importance of leagues like the KCL.