West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle opened up to Brut about all things India… 🇮🇳 🤝 🏏
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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.