Chris Gayle said he was not nervous in making his season debut for the Kings XI Punjab on Thursday.

The Universe Boss made a 45-ball 53 before he was run-out on the penultimate ball of the match as KXIP pulled off an eight-wicket win over the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Sharjah. After a cautious start, Gayle and Player of the Match KL Rahul, who scored an unbeaten 61, put on a match-winning partnership of 93 to lift KXIP to only their second win of the season.

RCB had scored 171 for 6, setting KXIP 172 to win.

Afterwards, Gayle was his usual confident self.

“Not really nervous. I mean, come on. It's Universe Boss batting, how can I be nervous,” he said explaining that the pitch was not the best but his focus was on helping his team to a well-needed win.

“It was a very sticky surface, very slow, but it was better batting second,” he said. The team asked me to do a job at three and it wasn't an issue,” he said while explaining the team decision to have him come one down as opposed to playing in his usual spot as opener.

“(The) openers been batting well throughout the tournament and we didn't want to disturb that. Like I said, I was given a job and took it. All I was saying, put some respect on the name [by pointing to his bat sticker]. That's all.”