#IPLGOAT QF: Chris Gayle vs AB De Villiers
We started with 24 players and now we are left with only just 8. Now, the competition will only get fiercer and the choice tougher. Today, we have two batting giants from Royal Challengers Bangalore; Chris Gayle and AB De Villiers. Who will progress to the Semi-Finals?
The #IPLGOAT is a knockout competition to determine the greatest IPL player of all time. We have done our homework and have come up with a list of 24 players. It will be a knock-out competition. Each day, you will see head to head matchups, with the winner progressing to the next round. The round of 24 will be followed by the Quarter-Finals, then the Semi-Finals, and ultimately the Grand Finale to determine the Greatest IPL player of all time. So what are you waiting for? Cast your vote and make it count.
Beware though, do not get carried away by merely the exploits of the current IPL; remember that you are selecting the Greatest IPL player of All Time! Choose wisely.
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We started with 24 players and now we are left with just 8. The competition will only get fiercer and the choices tougher. Today, we have two batting stalwarts from Royal Challengers Bangalore. With Chris Gayle, the bowler knows what is coming, but there is often nothing that he can one do about it whereas AB De Villiers is as unpredictable and versatile as they come, always keeping the bowlers guessing. In the previous round, Gayle brushed off his competition by garnering 63% of the votes, while De Villiers staved off tough competition from Suresh Raina. Now though, only one can progress to the Semi-Finals. Who will it be?
1. Chris Gayle
The Stats:
Matches: 87, Runs: 3218, Batting Average: 43.48, Strike Rate: 151.93
Claim To Greatness:
He calls himself ‘Universe Boss’! And you know what, you can’t really accuse himself of exaggeration. At the very least, he most definitely is IPL Boss. He has probably contributed more than any single player to IPL’s popularity. 3218 runs at an average of 43.48 and a strike rate of 151.93. Jaw dropping numbers! Yet, the numbers don’t tell even half the story. When Gayle is at the crease, mayhem is but one ball away. Match-Winning does not begin to describe Chris Gayle. He just doesn’t win the match for his team, he destroys the opposition. He has the highest individual score in an IPL match, an impossible 175 off 66 balls. He has one more entry in the top 5 with a 128 off 62. He has scored 5 centuries in total, the most by any player. The West Indian also has more sixes than anyone else with 235 sixes in 87 matches; second is Rohit Sharma with 161 sixes in 137 matches. He also has the most Man of the Match awards, has won the orange cap twice, has scored most sixes in a tournament 4 times and there are countless other records.
2. AB De Villiers
The Stats:
Matches: 115, Runs: 3108, Batting Average: 38.85, Strike Rate: 148.92
Claim to Greatness:
When AB De Villiers gets going, the bowlers are reduced to a mere side-show. He drives, he scoops, he pulls and he paddles; with a bat in hand, there is not a thing that he cannot do. To watch perfect deliveries sailing over the boundary, ball after ball, demoralizes the best of the bowlers. In one memorable innings, AB De Villiers scored 24 off a Dale Steyn over; the champion bowler could do little but applaud in awe and dis-belief. AB De Villiers averages just a tad under 40 and scores his runs at a strike rate of nearly 150. He has 3 centuries to his name and also contributes crucially in the field with 61 catches in just 83 matches.