Evin Lewis on Tuesday became the third West Indian to smack a hundred in the Bangladesh Premier League’s brief history.
The Caribbean Lewis was a surprise pick by Barisal Bulls during the Players By Choice auction as few had any idea of the 23-year-old opening batsman.
After sitting out for three games, he scored four on his BPL debut against Chittagong Vikings on Monday. However, his maiden century in the first-class arena has now handed him a chance to open the batting for Barisal beside his childhood ‘hero’.
With the T20 master blaster Chris Gayle arriving to play for Barisal on Sunday, Lewis is excited the batting alongside his favorite batsman.
"Chris Gayle is my favorite," Lewis said. "You know his style of batting and mine is similar. I hit a lot of sixes, big sixes like him. He is my mentor and I follow him. I love to hit sixes like him. Of course he will be proud because we both are from the Caribbean. I have never opened with him, it's a dream for me to open with him, and hopefully that will happen."
Lewis hammered the Dhaka Dynamites bowlers all over the park as he mustered an unbeaten 101 off just 65 balls. The left-handed spent 86 minutes in the middle when he smashed seven fours and half a dozen sixes at a strike-rate of 155.38.
"It feels excellent man, my first T20 hundred. It feels great. I think the wicket was pretty decent and I backed myself. I waited on the slower balls and capitalised on them, which was most important.
"I just backed myself. When the ball would come in my zone I would go for my shots. It feels good knowing that I can score at any part of the ground in T20s. It is excellent for me," he said. Click to see the list of BPL hundreds.
