I was treated like Gayle in India after 2016 WT20 win: Carlos Brathwaite
New Delhi, April 12: All-rounder Carlos Brathwaite, best remembered for hitting four consecutive sixes off England's Ben Stokes to help West Indies win the 2016 T20 World Cup, on Sunday said his best memory in India will always be the adulation he got days after achieving the feat, where he felt like Chris Gayle in the subcontinent.
"Cricket is relgion in India. I remember I was filming Chris (Gayle) being mobbed at the airport. But after the World Cup when I came to play for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), the same thing was happening to me," the 31-year old said while chatting on a Delhi-NCR based pet channel on Instragram where he mainly spoke about his dog.
West Indies were chasing a target of 156 and were reduced to 11/3 by the third over. Marlon Samuels and Dwayne Bravo then resurrected the innings before the former led the counter attack in the last four overs. He was however running out of partners at the other end until Brathwaite came in at no. 8.
Brathwaite was on strike in the last over having made 10 off six balls. West Indies needed 19 runs to win and the priority in any normal situation would have been to get Samuels on strike as soon as possible. But Brathwaite had other ideas.
Stokes bowled the last over and his first ball was sent soaring over deep backward square leg. The second went over long on for his second six and third went for another six runs over long-off. All of a sudden, West Indies needed just one run to win and Brathwaite finished it off with another six over deep midwicket as the Windies players ran onto the field in joy.
Brathwaite also said while Bengaluru is his favourite city for partying in India, Kolkata will always be special and he and his wife like Mumbai too. India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal commented below the chat, saying the whole of Bengaluru is his. Chahal plays for Virat Kohli-led Royals Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
"I played for Delhi Daredevils two years...the pollution just gets me. When I was there they had odd and even (car numbers) rule too."
A dog lover himself, Brathwaite said he talks about dogs to India middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer among others as he also posesseses a dog.
"Chris Jordan and Jofra (Archer) have been asking me to see my dog. Kemar Roach has some dogs. Shreyas Iyer is also with his dogs. So there are few cricketers with dogs and we do chat about them."
Brathwaite was not picked during the 2020 IPL auctions held late last year.
"Hopefully I will be in IPL in some capacity maybe replacement player or in commentary," he added.