When Baz set the ball rolling in style

April 18, 2008 This Day That Year

High on hype and low on substance’ is a commonly used phrase. On this day in 2008, Brendon McCullum made a mockery of this expression. At the Chinnaswamy stadium here, the New Zealand batsman gave the perfect example of what to expect from the Indian Premier League in its first ever contest.

Opening for Kolkata Knight Riders, McCullum scripted a whirlwind unbeaten 158 from 73 deliveries to set the ball rolling for the league. “We were beaten by a truly exceptional T20 innings,” losing team Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Rahul Dravid had said after the game.

After a rapturous opening ceremony, McCullum’s fireworks lit up the night’s sky. Riding on the opener’s astonishing effort, KKR registered a mammoth 222/3 and bundled out the hosts for 82 for a massive 140-run win.

The home team’s meek surrender didn’t matter to the vociferous crowd as they had witnessed 13 sixes and 10 fours from McCullum’s blade. The joy of watching your favourite foreign players every year became one of the major attractive aspects of the IPL.

Slam-bang cricket, entertainment and thrills, the knock had all these and more. Over the years, the IPL came to be defined by these characteristics. Through its existence, the league may have been dotted with controversies but has grown only in strength with every season, thanks to the unceasing support from fans and presence of immense star power.

The cash-rich league also became a way out for unheralded yet gifted cricketers. It turned those coming from tough beginnings into millionaires overnight.

The coronavirus outbreak has forced the BCCI to suspend this season indefinitely. For all the loyalists of the league, there is no better time to revisit this astounding innings. It was the match where it all began, and in supreme fashion.

Brief scores: Kolkata Knight Riders: 222/3 in 20 overs (Brendon McCullum 158 not out) bt Royal Challengers Bangalore: 82 all out in 15.1 overs (Ashok Dinda 2-9, Ajit Agarkar 3-25, Sourav Ganguly 2-21).