On This Day, IPL Was Born “Happy Birthday IPL” Today marks the 15th anniversary of Brendon McCullum’s spectacular century that kickstarted the Indian Premier League in grand style. McCullum Gave It a Perfect Start With His Iconic 158.
The birth of the Indian Premier League marked the beginning of a new era in cricket on April 18, 2008, as the T20 format gained popularity.
Happy Birthday IPL – McCullum Gave It a Perfect Start With His Iconic 158
A new chapter in the gentleman’s game was written as Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders faced off on a warm Friday evening at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
After being put into bat, Kolkata’s New Zealand opener Brendon McCullum appeared to be on a mission to destroy the bowling. The ball began to fly to all parts of the ground, leaving the crowd mesmerised by his breathtaking strokeplay.
With a strike rate of over 200, McCullum scored by hitting the ball all around the park. Soon enough, Bangalore skipper Rahul Dravid had no more options left to control the Kiwi.
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On This Day, IPL Was Born “Happy Birthday IPL”, The team led by Sourav Ganguly scored a total of 222/3 in 20 overs, with McCullum contributing 158 runs. He remained unbeaten and achieved this feat in 73 balls, hitting 10 fours and 13 sixes.
Bangalore’s chase was off to a bad start as Ishant Sharma dismissed Dravid in the second over. The team’s performance deteriorated after their captain’s departure, and they were all out for 82. This led to a massive 140-run victory in the first match of the IPL.
Happy Birthday IPL – McCullum’s innings demonstrated that this format of cricket was all about aggressive shots and creativity. His score of 158 remained the highest in the tournament until Chris Gayle’s unbeaten 175 for Bangalore against Pune in 2013. However, on that day, McCullum had truly showcased the art of power-hitting. It was the ideal introduction to a league that would gain a massive fan base in the years to come.
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