A late inclusion in the KXIP squad mentored by Virender Sehwag, Gayle has repaid the team’s faith with back-to-back Player-of-the-Match performances. He followed up the 63 against Chennai Super Kings in his first match of the season with an unbeaten 104 off 63 balls in his second. It set up the team’s 15-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The effort in Mohali on Thursday April 19, was his 21st T20 hundred – that’s three times the number for the second-placed batsman. Centuries 19 and 20 came late last year during the Bangladesh Premier League.

It was a calculated innings from the Jamaican, and his teammate Andrew Tye agreed.

“He played to perfection. He picked who he wanted to go after, made sure he put the pressure on them, on Kane Williamson (the SRH captain) by making him bowl the bowlers when he did,” said Tye. “He knew that once he got through the Powerplay, spin came on, and he got into rhythm against spin. He was very smart about not taking too many risks against the pacers.”

Rashid Khan came in for particular punishment, dispatched for four sixes in a single over, on the way to his worst T20 figures of 1-55.

“[Rashid] is a key bowler. He’s been bowling phenomenally in this IPL and in his career. But I just wanted to put him under a bit of pressure. Just let him know that the Universe Boss is here,” explained Gayle. “It’s one of those things: Let bowlers know who’s in charge.”