IPL 6: Pune's warriors surrender to superlative Gayle

Chris Gayle struck the fastest century in cricket history and helped Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Pune Warriors by a massive 130 runs to move back to the top of the IPL points table.u00a0

The victory margin is the second biggest in terms of runs in IPL history. Kolkata's 140-run win over Bangalore in the first match of the inaugural edition remains the biggest margin though.u00a0

It was Gayle show all the way through as the tall Jamaican not only starred with the bat, but also the ball, claiming two wickets at the M Chinnswamy stadium in Bangalore on Tuesday.

Chasing 264 to win, Pune could manage just 133 for nine in reply, less than Gayle's individual score.u00a0Steven Smith was the only saving grace for the visitors, top scoring with 41 off 31 balls.

Earlier, Gayle smashed the most breathtaking knock in the history of Twenty20 cricket, blasting an incredible 175 not out off a mere 66 balls. Gayle's century was the fastest in cricekt history, off just 30 balls, and the highest-ever individual score in a T20 game, surpassing Kolkata Knight Riders' Brendon McCullum, who hit 158 off 73 balls against RCB at this very same venue.

Chris Gayle rewrote record books during his unbeaten 175 against Pune Warriors.u00a0

Incidentally, RCB's total of 263 for five was also the highest-ever total in any T20 game.

Put into bat, it was the 'Gayle Force' that blew away the Pune Warriors as the big-bodied Jamaican once again showed his power-hitting ability, striking a staggering 13 fours and 17 sixes en-route to the fastest and highest-ever T20 score.

He brought up his century with a six off Ashok Dinda, which sailed over the stadium.

The carnage started from the second over, bowled by rookie paceman Ishwar Pandey. Playing his first IPL match, Pandey found out what top-level cricket was all about as Gayle hit him for five boundaries taking 21 runs of that over.

Mitchell Marsh and Aaron Finch got even worse treatments as they went for 28 and 29 runs in their respective overs as both were clobbered for four sixes each. There was minimum fuss as usual in Gayle's batting as he barely had any footwork. It was just stand and deliver as the ball kept on sailing into the stands and there was little that skipper Finch could have done.u00a0

Intimidated by this mayhem, the Pune bowlers could only go through the motion. All the three changes made by PUne backfired as Pandey gave away 33 in two overs while left-arm spinner Ali Mutaza conceded 45 from his two overs.

It was Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who returned unscathed with figures of 0 for 23 from four overs.

Marsh, who came back in place Ajantha Mendis was hammered for 56 in three overs while the profligate Dinda went for 48 off four overs.

Gayle and Dilshan (33) added 167 runs for the opening stand before it was broken. AB de Villiers also played his part to perfection with a cameo scoring 31 off eight balls (3x4, 3x6).u00a0