Chris Gayle has revisited one of the most remarkable moments of his IPL career — a late-night call that altered his cricketing path. Speaking on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast, the former West Indies opener disclosed that he was at a nightclub in Jamaica when his phone rang. On the line were then RCB owner Vijay Mallya and team mentor Anil Kumble. Gayle, who had been left out of the West Indies squad for the home series against Pakistan in 2011, was disillusioned and away from competitive cricket. Gayle recalled how he was asked to rush to the Embassy to get a visa. Speaking to Shubhankar Mishra's podcast, “When I got a call, I was at a nightclub in Jamaica. Whatever happened with the breakdown with West Indies Cricket, where I wasn’t even selected for a home series against Pakistan. “Coming from a World Cup loss and then having an injury too. I was very disappointed. So, long story short, I was at a nightclub and, at that time, I was not playing any cricket. I got a call." He added, “It was Vijay Mallya and Anil Kumble. They asked me if I was fit. I was like, ‘Is this for real?’ I said, “Yes, I am fit." They said, ‘If you’re fit, what we need you to do is go to the embassy tomorrow and get the visa,’ but I said tomorrow is Saturday.’" Read also: Sri Lanka Cricket Unveils A Strong 15-Member Squad For Women's ODI World Cup 2025 Gayle’s Explosive Entry into IPL 2011 Gayle’s debut for Royal Challengers Bengaluru came against his former franchise Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens. The left-hander lit up the stadium with an unbeaten 102 off 55 balls, striking 10 fours and seven sixes. The innings marked the beginning of a golden run, as Gayle went on to score heavily throughout the season. On May 6, 2011, he registered another century — 107 off 49 balls against Kings XI Punjab — followed by a blistering 37-run over against Kochi Tuskers Kerala. His power-hitting turned RCB’s campaign around and cemented his place as one of IPL’s most destructive openers.