BENGALURU: A towering 35-year-old Jamaican hitting the ball with merciless power is a standard sight in the Royal Challengers Bangalore camp.

On a cloudy on Wednesday evening, an hour prior to the begin of their home match against Chennai Super Kings at the M Chinnaswamy stadium, the scene was the same. Chris Gayle, appeared as though he was warming up for a huge thump, yet that was not to be. In a move that shocked numerous, Australian pace pro Mitchell Starc took Chris Gayle’s spot in the group as the fourth remote player.

RCB’s choice not to field Gayle left numerous including the opponent camp baffled on the grounds that in normal course, particularly against a considerable group like CSK, he would have been a programmed decision. RCB’s Iqbal Abdulla said Gayle was not harmed but rather the reason given by him in respect to why the West Indian did not highlight in the challenge wasn’t persuading. Yet, the clue was unmistakable: Gayle chose to sit out.

“No, he’s not harmed. He’s (Gayle) backing himself. He is protecting himself a bit. He is an essential player for RCB and he realizes that there are 10 more matches, he will bob back. He has kept himself for the matches ahead and ideally he will play in those matches,” was Iqbal’s reaction to an inquiry on whether Gayle was dropped or harmed.

“I was astonished when I saw that Chris was not playing, but rather Virat is a gentleman who dependably thinks absolutely for the group. The other gentleman, (Rilee) Rossouw, has played numerous great thumps for South Africa. Yet I would say they didn’t begin well in the initial six overs,” said Suresh Raina, who struck a snappy flame 32-ball 62.