Chris Gayle and India: A love story

Brut India

West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle opened up to Brut about all things India…

Transcript

00:00The Bollywood star, like Shah Rukh Khan and I get the chance to meet Amitabh Bachchan.

00:04I've never been to the Taj Mahal. Went to his house as well, met his mom.

00:07Once again, give the crowd what they want in India.

00:09You know, they will love you for a lifetime.

00:16I started my first class cricket in India in Pune.

00:20I think that was 1998 or 1999, I think.

00:25When I got selected for West Indies A team, before I actually represent my country,

00:31I got a call when I was in school at the time.

00:33I need to fly to India to go and replace a particular player.

00:37And I'm like, wow, for real?

00:40And then, you know, went and got my visa, traveled for the first time,

00:43and then, you know, ended up in India.

00:45Ian Bishop was the captain at the time.

00:47Roger Harper was a coach at the time as well.

00:49And I did well, you know, as a youngster, you know,

00:51pretty much joined a team for the first time as well.

00:55That's where I actually developed my bowling as well,

00:57because the team didn't have an off spinner.

01:00And then I told them I could bowl off spin as well.

01:03And, you know, that's how it actually started.

01:05And then eventually, it was just, you know, a rich history.

01:16I don't know the recipe, but I keep it very simple, you know.

01:20Some butter chicken and steamed rice.

01:22Keep it very simple.

01:24That's very tasty.

01:25You know, a bit of naan bread sometimes or a garlic naan.

01:29Beside, you know, on the side as well to actually go with that.

01:32That's my go-to dish though, you know, butter chicken.

01:35I only do the eating, the knife and fork, and the chef do the cooking.

01:39I stay away from the kitchen.

01:41I love Indian food, I must tell you that,

01:43because I've been going there for years now.

01:44I've done quite a few collabs with even Indian artists, you know.

01:53Emiway, Arko.

01:55I know of Emiway because he had done a song with a good friend of mine, Celina Sharma.

02:00I reached out to him and said, hey, let's do it.

02:02And he didn't hesitate.

02:04And he was like, I've never really, you know,

02:06talked to a cricketer or met a cricketer like that.

02:09I get the chance to actually go visit him at home.

02:14I mean, Mumbai, went to his house as well, met his mom.

02:17So I sit with him, we had a meal together.

02:19So it's like, we'll build that sort of relationship as well, which is very good.

02:24I mean, it started during the lockdown, you know, with my friend Styler G.

02:29I heard myself.

02:30I was like, wow, you know, felt proud of myself.

02:34And then I actually created my label, you know,

02:36Triple Century Records.

02:37I have my own music label now.

02:38And then to be able to feature on an album, you know, going up for a Grammy as well.

02:43You know, that's something spectacular.

02:48Here in the dressing room with so many, you know,

02:50experienced and talented overseas players as well, who I've never really,

02:53you know, thought I would actually, you know, done such a thing or be a part of.

02:58So many icons, stars there as well.

03:00The Bollywood star, like Shahrukh Khan.

03:02You know, get the chance to meet Amitabh Bachchan.

03:04You name them, you know, the list goes on.

03:06And, you know, but one special moment as well was actually when I joined the particular way,

03:14you know, I joined the RCB team as well.

03:16My first game, you know, I scored 100 against KKR at Eden Garden.

03:23My first game for RCB at the time.

03:25And, you know, we were at the RCB was at the bottom of the table.

03:29And then, you know, that particular year, since I joined the team,

03:32we went from the bottom to the top.

03:34But eventually, unfortunately, we lost the final.

03:36You know, so those things kind of actually, you know, be memorable to me as well.

03:44There's so much history within India.

03:46I mean, I get a chance to visit a few of the temples.

03:48The temples while I was playing for RCB as well.

03:51It's because of the cricket that I never really get the chance to actually,

03:54you know, like venture India properly,

03:57because there's so much history within India when you travel around India.

04:01And you want to get to say, hey, I want to go to that.

04:03The Taj Mahal, I've never been to the Taj Mahal.

04:05You know what I'm saying?

04:06Travel to India over the last maybe 16 years, 17 years, or even more.

04:12But I just never really, it's always about the cricket and back at the hotel,

04:15you know, because fans are so passionate about the game.

04:18You know, they don't want to, you know, get a selfie, get an autograph.

04:22And sometime you get it, you know how it goes.

04:23It can get over, you know, crowded at times.

04:26And then you can't really have any time for yourself.

04:28But India on a whole, they love entertainment.

04:30Anyone can be that sort of entertainer.

04:33You know, they love to chant.

04:34They love to, you know, be vibrant.

04:38And, you know, once you can give the crowd what they want in India,

04:40you know, they will love you for a lifetime.

04:43So you can, you know, build a fan base.

04:45And I'm one person who loves to hit sixes as well.

04:48And I love to dance.

04:49I like to interact with the fans.

04:51Do you pick up any Hindi at all in all your years of coming to India to play?

04:55It's only the simple ones like waterpani,

04:58gyal de chalo, go quickly or something like that.

05:01Chalo, chalo, chalo, chalo, yeah.

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