T20 cricket was an afterthought for teams during the initial years. Test and ODI cricket occupied the bulk of the schedule. Teams played one or two T20 matches at the fag end of long and gruelling tours. Then two things happened in quick succession. India’s game against Scotland in the 2007 T20 World Cup was abandoned due to rain on September 13. On the same day, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the launch of a new T20 competition, called the Indian Premier League. India went on to lift the T20 World Cup and the Indian Premier League made its debut on April 18, 2008. Cricket is never the same from that moment. It reached unimaginable heights and has become an integral part of the country’s cultural fabric.
Here are some of the best moments that happened in IPL on April 18.
2022: Yuzvendra Chahal’s hat-trick
Yuzvendra Chahal triggered an epic KKR collapse just a few days back. He did the same thing against KKR while representing Rajasthan Royals in 2022. KKR needed 40 runs from 4 overs with 6 wickets in hand. Chahal took 4 wickets in one over, which included a hat-trick and completely changed the complexion of the game. Rajasthan Royals (217/5) edged out Kolkata Knight Riders (210) by 7 runs, thanks to Yuzvendra Chahal’s 5/40.
Chahal will be looking to replicate a similar magic against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, his former IPL team.
2014: Glenn Maxwell’s mayhem
Glenn Maxwell, Chahal’s current teammate and another former RCB player, too have fond memories on April 18. Maxwell’s highest IPL score (95 off 43) helped Punjab Kings (Kings XI Punjab at that time) to hunt down Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) target of 206 with 7 balls to spare. The innings comprised 15 fours, an unusually high number for a non-century knock.
2009: IPL goes abroad
IPL 2009 moved to South Africa due to the Lok Sabha Elections. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) took their nascent rivalry to an overseas territory for the first time. Sachin Tendulkar (59* off 49), one of the favourite sons of India, fittingly won the player of the match award and elevated the status of the league.
2010: Hot MS Dhoni in cold Dharamsala
MS Dhoni produced one of the iconic moments in the history of IPL, on this day in 2010. CSK needed 16 runs from 6 balls in a must-win encounter against Punjab Kings. Dhoni went berserk, smashing a four and 2 sixes off Irfan Pathan, and took CSK to the semifinals. The ice-cool captain let out his emotions in a never-seen-before manner. CSK went on to lift the trophy and repeated the magic in 2011.
2008: Brendon McCullum’s audacious 158*
The first moment is the greatest moment. How rare could it be? Very few moments can rival Brendon McCullum’s audacious 158* off 73 on the opening day of the inaugural IPL season in 2008. Chris Gayle’s 175, Lasith Malinga’s pinpoint yorker in the 2019 final, Dhoni’s magic in Dharamsala and many more. All these events will be part of the folklore for years to come. But how can you explain a story without a starting point?
Brendon McCullum’s 158* off 73 made the world to consider IPL as a serious proposition. One can expect the broadcasters to not show the other moments in their coverage, but they are not going to miss McCullum. Bazball may be the buzzword, but the opening day heroics is his greatest contribution to the game.
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