Royal Challengers Bangalore coach Daniel Vettori praised Chris Gayle for his explosive knock of 77 runs off 38 balls against Gujarat Lions on Tuesday. Bangalore won the match by 21 runs, as Lions failed to chase down 214. With the knock, Gayle also entered the 10,000-run club in T20s, the only player to do so.

Batsmen like Gayle do not need guidance from any coach or captain with regard to their batting, Vettori said. “Good thing about international cricketers is that they probably talk to themselves more than any captain or coach talking to them about their performances. They take pride in their performances, they really want to contribute to the team and Chris is a really prideful man, he wants to do well for RCB, do well for any team he plays for. Chris is the strongest and powerful player on these kind of wickets and he can take any bowler down.”

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Gayle was picked in place of AB de Villiers, who missed the clash due to an injury. “Today was his opportunity,” Vettori said. “AB’s injury allowed him to come out and play. We wanted him to play with freedom and we had given him the confidence.”

Spinner Yuzvendra Chahal took three wickets for Bangalore and Vettori said he deserved all the success on the pitch. “I have been lucky enough to have worked with Chahal for the past four years and also played against him when he was in Mumbai,” Vettori said. “The way he bowled in the [2011] Champions League final [between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore, where Chahal had figures of 3-0-9-2] was the reason why we wanted to get him into RCB. He is competitive, coupled with a lot of skills. I think those two qualities make a formidable combination for a spin bowler and he is positive and confident of what he is doing. If you can succeed in a stadium like Chinnaswamy then it means you are special and we saw that again today with Chahal’s performance.”

Meanwhile, Gujarat Lions bowler Basil Thampi was elated with getting his first wicket of the IPL, Gayle. “It was the best feeling of my life,” he said. “It was my first wicket in the IPL. I got the big man’s wicket and I’m very happy to get him out.”

Thampi added that he enjoys bowling in pressure situations. “It has given me enjoyment. The main thing is that I have to enjoy my bowling. Nowadays, I am bowling well and I just keep doing that. I actually allow the pressure to bowl like that. I know that the batsmen can hit me anytime, but I can also build the pressure that time. I enjoy that pressure.”