Veteran West Indies batsman Chris Gayle, who struggled to find an Indian Premier League team, smashed the first century of this season on Thursday to prove his worth to Kings XI Punjab.

His spectacular unbeaten 104 – with 11 sixes and one four sprayed around the ground off 63 balls – helped the unfancied Punjab inflict the first defeat of the 2018 IPL on Sunrisers Hyderabad.

“A lot of people thought I’m too old. After this innings, I have nothing to prove,” the 38-year-old Gayle said after the 15-run win late Thursday.

Gayle was only selected in the third round of bidding for players by IPL teams for the 2018 season. Punjab signed him for just the Rs 2 crore reserve price in the January auction.

He has made only two appearances so far but played a big innings each time. The opener blasted 63 off 33 balls in his side’s win over Chennai Super Kings on the weekend.

“I’m always determined, wherever I go in the world and whichever franchise I represent,” the destructive left-hander said. “A lot of people said I had a lot to prove after [almost] not getting picked in the auction. But I can say that Virender Sehwag saved the IPL by picking me.”

Kings XI advisor Virender Sehwag was instrumental in the team’s late bid for Gayle at the auction and he can now expect talks with the batsman. “Sehwag said in an interview: ‘If Chris wins you two games, we have our money’s worth’. I need to have a chat with him about that,” Gayle added.

During his knock, Gayle also hit the much fancies Afghani leg-spinner Rashid Khan for four straight sixes. Khan ended up conceding over 50 runs in his four overs. Gayle said that targeting the wrist spinner was part of his plan to “let bowlers know who is in charge”.

“He’s a key bowler and he’s been phenomenally well in this IPL and in his entire career, but I just wanted to put him under a bit of pressure,” Gayle told the IPL website in an interview after the match. “[I wanted to] just let him know that the Universe Boss is here. Just one of those things, let bowlers know who is in charge.”

It was Gayle’s sixth IPL hundred and 21st in the 20-over format. Hyderabad had won their previous three games before the match. Punjab made 193/3 and then restricted Kane Williamson’s Sunrisers to 178/4.

With inputs from AFP