David Willey’s IPL story is written through the ball, not the bat. Across 11 bowling innings for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2023, the left-arm seamer claimed six wickets, never once going for more than two in any spell. Operating at an impressive strike-rate of 36 balls per wicket and an economy of just 7.56, Willey kept a lid on scoring even at the death. His 216 deliveries cost only 272 runs, a testament to accuracy on Bengaluru’s batting-friendly tracks. While his batting flashes were brief—53 runs from 62 balls with seven boundaries—RCB valued him chiefly for the control and breakthroughs he delivered with the new ball and in the slog overs. Three seasons, two franchises, one clear role: Willey is the swing-and-pace insurance policy every T20 side covets.

Chris Gayle IPL story: 13 seasons, 4 965 runs, 357 sixes and one unforgettable 175. The self-styled “Universe Boss” walked into IPL 2009 with Kolkata Knight Riders, but it was at Royal Challengers Bengaluru from 2011-2017 that he became a global T20 icon—belting 404 fours and 357 sixes overall at a jaw-dropping strike rate of 148. In 141 innings he cleared the rope once every 9.3 balls and produced 31 half-centuries plus six blistering hundreds, the most famous being his record 175* off 66 balls at the Chinnaswamy in 2013. After his Bengaluru fireworks, Gayle took his power game to Punjab Kings, turning up in orange from 2018 to 2021 and continuing to pepper boundaries with the same ruthless ease. While he rolled his arm over occasionally—18 wickets in 38 bowling innings—his narrative is written in soaring sixes and match-winning hundreds that re-defined T20 batting forever.

Note: This overview is partially generated using AI and is based on statistical data. Please verify with official sources for complete accuracy.