T20 was still finding its feet amid cricket’s two popular formats Tests and ODIs when the Indian Premier League burst on the scene to change the dynamics completely in 2008. If the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007 acted as a stepping stone for the shortest format of the game and its global appeal, the IPL, the following year, gave it the much-needed push. Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum had a big role in it too.
On this day, 14 years ago, McCullum smashed an unbeaten 158 in the first-ever match of the IPL to announce himself and the tournament in world cricket. McCullum’s blazing innings gave a dream start to a tournament that is now regarded as one of the most successful sporting events in the world.
McCullum, the current head coach of Kolkata Knight Riders, opened the batting for the same franchise against Royal Challengers Bangalore on 18 April, 2008 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.
As astonishing as it may sound but McCullum failed to score off the first five deliveries he faced against RCB’s Praveen Kumar in the first over of the match. But he started to paint an entirely different picture from the second over onwards.
The right-handed wicketkeeper-batter, who probably wasn’t even KKR’s first-choice opener – with Chris Gayle and captain Sourav Ganguly being the preferred choices – hit Zaheer Khan for three fours and a six in the next over. The six that flew over thirdman in the fourth delivery of the over was an early sign that it was McCullum’s day.
After Kumar bowled another tight over in the third, McCullum launched into Ashley Noffke in the fourth, hitting the Australian pacer for two sixes and a four.
Before anyone could realise, he brought up his half-century off 32 balls. The Kiwi right-hander, known for his pyrotechnics, went on a six-hitting spree after reaching his fifty.
There was no respite for an RCB bowling line-up comprising Zaheer Khan, Jacques Kallis and Sunil Joshi as all of them went the distance.
Even Kumar, who had bowled a brilliant spell with the new ball, wasn’t spared when he came back to bowl in the latter half of the KKR innings.
In a staggering display of strokeplay, McCullum brought up the maiden hundred of IPL with a couple off Noffke in his 52nd ball.
The right-hander then scored 57 runs off his next 21 balls to remain unbeaten 158 off 73 balls. His innings was laced with 13 sixes and 10 fours.
KKR hammered their way to 222 for 3. Such was the dominance of McCullum that the next best score from KKR’s side was 20 by Ricky Ponting.
In reply, RCB were no match for KKR. They lost captain Rahul Dravid to Ishant Sharma in the second over of the chase and kept on losing wickets at regular intervals to be bowled out 82 in 15.1 overs.
KKR’s bowling led by Ajit Agarkar’s three-wicket haul, displayed a fine show but the day was remembered for McCullum’s stunning batting.
In an interview with KKR a few years after that fateful day, McCullum would go on to state that his 158-run knock had changed his life for good.
McCullum’s blistering innings remained the highest score of the tournament before Chris Gayle, playing for RCB, smashed an unbeaten 175 against Pune Warriors in 2013.
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