IPL 2022: "Legends like Chris Gayle, De Villiers brought openness in IPL dressing rooms" - Saba Karim

Former Indian wicketkeeper Saba Karim has praised the contributions of overseas players like Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Karim believes they have had a huge impact on the success of the premier tournament.

The 54-year-old feels these overseas stars not only graced the league with their world-class abilities but also brought the best out of a lot of young Indian players. The young domestic players gained a lot of confidence in sharing the dressing room with such stars, according to Karim.

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Speaking on the YouTube podcast 'Khelneeti', here's what Saba Karim had to say about the impact of overseas stars in the IPL:

"The kind of level, skill and flavour that the overseas players have brought with their performances in the IPL has helped the Indian players and the team environment. Legends like Malinga, Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Brendon McCullum have taught a lot to our youngsters."

The 54-year-old also stressed on how playing with such stars helped the Indian players get ready for the international stage. Karim added:

"There has been a lot of openness in the dressing room which has helped the domestic players a lot. The quality of the league has increased and the Indian players have got the confidence to play with and against foreign players. So they have had a huge contribution in IPL's success."

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Chris Gayle's ability to hit sixes at will gave him the 'Universe Boss' tag: Nikhil Chopra

Former Indian off-spinner Nikhil Chopra has also weighed in on how overseas stars like Chris Gayle have impacted the IPL. Gayle has been a fan favorite due to his ability to hit huge sixes and Chopra feels that's why he got the name 'Universe Boss'. He opined on the 'Khelneeti' podcast:

"Chris Gayle had the ability to hit sixes off fast bowlers at will. So he became a household name among fans. Everyone was amazed to see this happen in T20 cricket. The way he used to bat, he used to maintain a strike-rate of 150-160 easily. So the ability to consistently hit sixes gave Gayle the tag of 'Universe Boss'."

Without stars like de Villiers and Gayle, IPL 2022 will definitely feel different for fans who have followed the league since its inception.