WCL 2026:Chris Gayle age 47. AB de Villiers—age 42. Both are past the age of 40. Yet, witnessing their roar on the cricket field makes it seem as though age is merely a number for them. The most recent example of this was seen during a match on the evening of October 4 at the World Championship of Legends 2026.
Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers faced off on the Sharjah pitch. Both unleashed such a storm for their respective teams that the spectators truly got their money's worth. Now, the question remains: who won and who lost in this head-to-head battle between Gayle and de Villiers?
Gayle and de Villiers Tied in Blasting Sixes and Fours
In their head-to-head clash, Gayle and de Villiers were evenly matched when it came to raining down sixes and fours; Chris Gayle hit exactly as many boundaries for his team as AB de Villiers did for his. However, Chris Gayle's innings was more explosive than that of AB de Villiers.
AB de Villiers scored 70 runs off 39 balls for South Africa Champions at a strike rate of 179.49, hitting 5 sixes and 4 fours, while Chris Gayle played with a strike rate of 193.55. Gayle smashed 60 runs off 31 balls for West Indies Champions, featuring 5 sixes and 4 fours.
Gayle vs. de Villiers: Who won, who lost?
So, who won and who lost? A total of 387 runs and 27 sixes were scored in this match between South Africa Champions and West Indies Champions. Batting first, South Africa Champions posted 242 runs including 17 sixes marking their highest score in the WCL.
In contrast, while chasing the target of 243 set by South Africa Champions, West Indies Champions were bowled out for just 145, losing the match by 97 runs.
In short, while Gayle’s onslaught was certainly fierce, de Villiers held the upper hand. The primary reason for this was the performance of the nine West Indies Champions batsmen who, even when combined, failed to outscore Chris Gayle on his own.
Meanwhile, South Africa Champions succeeded in reaching a total of 242 because it wasn't just de Villiers who went on the attack; Richard Levi also fired, scoring 87 runs off 39 balls including 8 sixes at a strike rate of 223.08.
