Kings XI Punjab have heaved a huge sigh of relief as their veteran batsman Chris Gayle has recovered from a stomach bug and was on Monday spotted at the training nets to gear up for the team's next assignment in the ongoing IPL 2020. He is likely to be fit for the match against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Thursday, October 15.
Gayle is yet to feature in this season's IPL and was all set to make his debut in the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad before he was down with stomach infection.
“Chris Gayle was going to play today’s match but he is sick. He is down with food poisoning that’s why he isn’t in the playing eleven,” Head Coach Anil Kumble had told commentators during the game against SRH.
Gayle then missed the game against Kolkata Knight Riders as well, the loss in which saw KXIP go to the bottom end of the table with just one win in seven games.
Gayle's inclusion can prove to be a huge step for the faltering KXIP given his track record in the histiry of the tournament. The southpaw was the second highest run scorer for the franchise last season, and got four fifties in the tournament.
“Chris looks very much ready and is keen to get on to the park, he has been training really well and has looked really good in the nets,” batting coach Wasim Jaffer had mentioned to Kings XI Punjab a while back prior to the stomach infection, in an exclusive interview.
Despite the success of Gayle-KL Rahul partnership in the last two seasons, KXIP can look to play Mayank Agarwal and Gayle at the top and use the experience and his ability of the captain down the order for a late surge, especially in the slog overs where the franchise has struggled a lot in the first seven games.
