Gayle names Malinga as toughest T20 bowler he faced
Chris Gayle says Lasith Malinga's action and slower ball made him the hardest T20 bowler he faced.
Chris Gayle called Lasith Malinga the toughest bowler he faced in T20 cricket. Across their meetings, Gayle managed 57 runs off 72 balls and fell once. He told Midwicket Stories that Malinga's sling made it hard to set up, and the slower ball stayed hidden until it was too late. Against him, Gayle shifted to survival mode — blocking or stealing the strike instead of going after the ball. Malinga picked up 170 IPL wickets in 122 matches and won four titles with Mumbai Indians. Gayle finished his IPL career with 4,965 runs and a record 357 sixes.
CricHubb Take
The detail worth keeping is the mindset shift: one of the most fearless hitters in the format admits he played for 1s and 0s against Malinga, which is the clearest measure of how awkward that action really was.