Chris Gayle, the Universe Boss, all set to dazzle in ODIs against India

Chris Gayle had a decent run in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 for the West Indies. Following their ninth-place finish in the tournament with wins just over Pakistan and Afghanistan, Gayle was expected to retire from ODIs after the end of the tournament. However, Gayle changed his mind and made himself available for the series against India and the West Indies selectors have included him in the side for the three-match ODI series starting on August 8. Gayle, though, will not be available for the three-match ODI series as he is currently busy in the Global Twenty20 League in Canada where he is playing for the Vancouver Knights. Gayle is captaining the side and got the tournament off to a good start with a win against the Toronto Nationals.

The rest of the West Indies team consists of some changes. Left-handed opener John Campbell, fellow batsman Roston Chase and all-rounder Keemo Paul have all been recalled to the 14-member squad for the series. "Chris is a very valuable player and he brings a lot of experience, a lot of knowledge, he lends a lot to any dressing room and it is great to have him in the squad," said interim West Indies head coach Floyd Reifer. Reifer said Campbell, Chase and Paul have been brought back to add more balance to the squad, whilst Sunil Ambris, Darren Bravo, Shannon Gabriel and Ashley Nurse have all missed out on selection for the matches against Virat Kohli's side.

Also Read | New Zealand survive epic Carlos Brathwaite ton to beat West Indies by five runs in World Cup thriller

Gayle will be eyeing a few records during the series against India. The left-hander is just 11 runs away from breaking Brian Lara's tally of most ODI runs for West Indies while overall, he needs just 13 runs to break Lara's overall aggregate of 10405. Gayle and Lara had played a couple of ODIs for the ICC World XI during the series against Australia.

Also Read | Before MS Dhoni’s Army insignia row, ICC had rejected Chris Gayle’s use of ‘Universe Boss’ on his bat

Reifer added that the squad consisted of a good mixture of experience and youth. "We have a mixture of some experienced and young ODI players. It is good to have Keemo, John and Roston back, and they will help to bring further balance to the team. Looking ahead to the series, I think we have a lot to build upon following the World Cup. We have retained a large number of players from the World Cup squad, so there is a lot to build on and I am looking forward to the series," he added.

RELATED

HIGHLIGHTS

• Chris Gayle is on course to break Brian Lara's ODI record.
• Gayle needs just 13 runs to break Lara's mark of 10405 ODI runs.
• India and West Indies will play three T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests.