Bangladesh gave us little scare: Chris Gayle on West Indies Champions WCL win

Gayle, who scored a fantastic half-century for the West Indies Champions, said Bangladesh also batted well to post a challenging total of 219 runs before he and Chadwick Walton laid the foundation for the chase, which Walton eventually finished.

Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of WCL Season 3, Gayle said the contest was closely fought and credited both teams with an entertaining encounter.

"I wouldn't say we outpowered Bangladesh. Bangladesh played some really, really good cricket to score 219 runs. That's brilliant. Rony Talukdar for the Bangladesh team batted well, and the captain Mahmudullah batted really, really well as well, so they gave us a little scare. But chasing 200 runs, we needed a good start. Myself and Lendl kind of set the foundation, and then eventually Chadwick Walton came and finished the innings for us," Gayle told ANI.

"But overall it was a very good game, and I think the fans really and truly enjoyed that game. Two games played, over 800 runs scored, so it's a fantastic day for cricket," he added, while also referring to West Indies' memorable win over India in the second T20I, where the visitors chased down the massive target of 250 runs.

Gayle also pointed to the batting-friendly conditions, acknowledging that the high-scoring contest was a tough outing for the bowlers while expressing hope that West Indies would maintain their momentum in the next match against Australia.

"Hard luck to the bowlers, but it was a very good wicket to bat on as well, so, you know, we're glad we got a great display of cricket out there yesterday. So hopefully we can continue that tomorrow against Australia because things are getting a bit heated now, so we've got to stay in it," Gayle said.

Meanwhile, West Indies Champions owner Ajay Sethi highlighted the contribution of players to the success and commercial growth of the Indian Premier League (IPL), arguing that the cricketers themselves play a major role in building the league's value.

Sethi said the contribution of players from the West Indies and other cricketing nations should be recognised, as their performances help make the IPL a successful competition.

"I think players are also performing. IPL also benefits from these players. If there are no players, if you don't have an actor, it's not only about the IPL making money. I think the players contribute a lot; it's the West Indies and the rest of the boards: Australia, England. Everyone who's performing in the IPL- that's what makes the IPL's valuation of 1.6 billion, 7 billion. I think players play a huge role in the success of the IPL, and all the players," Sethi said. (ANI)