Stafanie Taylor: Women's cricket has found its Chris Gayle

New Delhi: Women cricket seemed to have found their own Chris Gayle. West Indies women's captain Stafanie Taylor on Friday hit a 51-ball 90 to help her side beat hosts India at Vijayawada by six wickets.

Taylor, 25, hit three sixes and 12 fours during her 64 minute stay in the middle at the nondescript Mulapadu ground, and soon tributes started flowing with many comparing her to fellow Jamaican and the 'World Boss' Gayle.

Already regarded as a trendsetter in a game, which has seen male domination for better part of its existence, Taylor sure knows how to make headlines. And today's blistering knock was once such effort, albeit an effortless one.

Having started playing first-class cricket as young as a 10-year-old, Taylor once hit a 49-ball 90 on T20I debut against Ireland in 2008. Then, she was only 17.

Fast forward, and early this year, he helped Windies women to their first ever world title, beating three-time defending champions Australia in the 2016 ICC Women's World T20 in India. The skipper herself anchored the chase with a classy 59.

Incidentally, they got to dance to the tune of 'Champion' with their male counterparts as Darren Sammy & Co also won the men's respective title.

For the record, she is also the only player – male or female – to ever achieve the number one ODI ranking in both batting and bowling simultaneously.

Taylor's emergence as a cricket star coincided with the rise of women's game. But they still need someone, a larger than figure, who can match the aura carry by the likes of Gayle to further their cause, that of becoming a global sport.

Going by her exploits, women's cricket sure got one star.