Kochi: West Indies cricket legend Chris Gayle, known for his explosive batting that turned T20 cricket grounds into a spectacle, is set to visit Kerala. Gayle is expected to arrive in Kerala on August 17, ahead of this year’s Kerala Cricket League.

Although Gayle is coming to Kerala in his capacity as co-owner of Kochi Blue Tigers, his visit is expected to bring good opportunities for Kerala cricket. From this season of the league, Gayle will actively participate in identifying and nurturing promising cricketing talent from Kerala. Details of training programmes, including grassroots-level initiatives led by Gayle, will be announced by the Blue Tigers management soon.

The idea of bringing Chris Gayle to Kerala was conceived by Kochi Blue Tigers owner Subhash Manuel. Based in London, Subhash made several attempts to get in touch with Gayle. After initially communicating with Gayle’s managers, Subhash eventually got an opportunity to meet him in person following several attempts.

During their meeting in London, Subhash spoke to Gayle about the Kerala Cricket League and the Blue Tigers, and also made sure to mention Blue Tigers player Sanju Samson. According to Subhash, Gayle initially said he would think over the proposal to visit Kerala, but later agreed with great enthusiasm.

Chris Gayle also announced Sally Samson as the captain and Basil Thampi as the vice-captain of Kochi Blue Tigers for the third season of the Kerala Cricket League. He also unveiled the team’s new slogan, “Once a Blue Tiger, Always a Blue Tiger.” The announcement was made through the team’s official social media pages.

‘I’ll be there, you should be too’ — Chris Gayle

There is little doubt that the leadership of Sally Samson, who guided the Blue Tigers to the title last season, and the experience of Basil Thampi will benefit the team. With the team having complete faith in the duo, Kochi will be hoping to retain the championship.

“I will be at Thiruvananthapuram’s Greenfield Stadium to watch the matches, including those of the Blue Tigers, live. You should all be there.”