V Nigam burst onto the IPL stage in 2025 with Delhi Capitals, turning heads as a genuine all-round match-winner. In just eight innings with the bat, the 21-year-old hammered 142 runs at a scorching strike rate of 179, peppering boundaries at will—15 fours and eight towering sixes. His fearless cameos, topped by a 39-run blitz, gave DC the late-overs impetus they craved. Even more eye-catching was his impact with the ball. Handed the new ball and trusted at the death, Nigam featured in 13 bowling innings, snaring 11 wickets at an impressive strike rate of 21.27 balls per wicket. While 2 for best figures might sound modest, the fact that he achieved this while going at 9.13 an over in high-scoring 2025 games underscores his nerve under pressure. In a single season, Nigam became one of the rare players to cross 140 runs and 10 wickets, a stat line that places him in elite all-round company. Delhi Capitals unearthed a 360-degree gem who can flip matches with both bat and ball—exactly the blueprint modern T20 franchises chase.

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.