Chris Gayle can shatter dreams. Ask Ishwar Pandey, the highest wicket-taker in this year's Ranji Trophy, who got smashed for 21 in his first over this IPL. Ask Mitchell Marsh, whose decent run with the ball this tournament was blown out of his memory, with his first over going for 28. Ask Aaron Finch, the third captain for his team this season, who bowled an over hoping to restrict Gayle but didn't bowl again after being blasted for 29. Ask Ali Murtaza, a specialist left-arm spinner thrown into the deep end in his first game this season to be hammered for 28 in his over.
The fastest hundred in T20 history was built on the misery of others, most notably a struggling franchise whose owners watched shell-shocked at their team's bowlers being taken apart with a ruthlessness only a game of Cricket '97 powered with cheat codes could have matched.
The destruction inflicted on the Warriors bowlers broke a series of records. Gayle smashed the fastest century in the format, brought off 30 balls; made the highest individual T20 score (175 not out); struck the most sixes by a batsman in a T20 innings (17); helped Royal Challengers Bangalore hit the most sixes for a team in a T20 innings (21) and reach the highest total in T20 cricket (263).
The helplessness of the Warriors players was writ large on their faces. Luke Wright smiled with trepidation when Virat Kohli took a single to give Gayle the strike off his bowling, Yuvraj just shook his head as he watched one ball after another sail over the boundary rope and pretended to snatch Gayle's bat at the end of the innings as he went over to congratulate him.
