In a thrilling inaugural match, the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) clashed with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Led by former Indian cricket captains Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, the encounter promised fireworks from the get-go.
As the Indian Premier League (IPL) embarked on its maiden journey, the anticipation among fans was palpable. Despite the novelty of T20 cricket, Indian audiences were no strangers to the format, having savored India’s triumph in the inaugural ICC World T20 just months prior.
With a dazzling opening ceremony behind them, the clock struck 8:00 PM IST, signaling the commencement of action. Pacer Praveen Kumar etched his name in history by delivering the tournament’s inaugural ball to none other than Ganguly himself.
However, it was Brendon McCullum who truly stole the show, decimating the RCB bowling lineup in the latter half of the innings. The future New Zealand captain’s remarkable knock saw him amass an unbeaten 158 runs, featuring an onslaught of 10 boundaries and 13 towering sixes—a T20 record at the time.
McCullum’s monumental innings not only set the tone for the IPL but also etched his name in the annals of cricketing history. The sheer dominance of his performance is evident when comparing it to the rest of the scorecard, with the second-highest individual score in the match a mere 20 runs. In response, RCB faltered, succumbing to KKR’s bowling prowess and managing a meager total of 82 runs.
The reverberations of McCullum’s blitzkrieg reverberated for years to come, as no KKR batter managed to replicate his century for nearly 15 years in the tournament. Beyond the records, his innings provided the IPL with an electrifying start, laying the foundation for its evolution into the colossal sporting spectacle it is today.
