The 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) kicks off on Saturday, March 22, with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) facing Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Interestingly, these two teams also played the very first match in IPL history back in 2008.
As IPL 2025 approaches, let’s take a look back at the key firsts from that iconic opening game nearly 17 years ago.
The First Ball in IPL History
RCB captain Rahul Dravid won the toss and chose to bowl first. Praveen Kumar, the talented seamer from Uttar Pradesh, bowled the historic first delivery to KKR captain Sourav Ganguly. The ball swung back in sharply toward Ganguly’s pads, but he failed to make contact. It deflected off his thigh pad and rolled towards square leg, allowing Brendon McCullum to sneak a quick single.
The First Four
After a tight first over from Praveen, Zaheer Khan took charge in the second. McCullum initially missed a cut shot on the first delivery but made up for it on the next ball, smashing the first-ever boundary in IPL history over mid-wicket.
The First Six
McCullum didn’t stop there. On Zaheer’s fourth delivery, he stepped towards the off-side and attempted to loft it over mid-on. The ball took a thick outside edge at 125.8 kph and flew over third man, registering the first six in IPL history.
The First Wicket
KKR raced to 60/0 in just five overs, with McCullum tearing apart RCB’s bowling attack. Desperate for a breakthrough, Dravid brought Zaheer back to bowl the final over of the powerplay. On his second delivery, Zaheer dismissed Sourav Ganguly with a brilliant out-swinger. Ganguly tried to play it through the on-side but edged it to Jacques Kallis at wide slip, marking the first-ever wicket in IPL history.
The First Fifty
McCullum continued his dominance, reaching the first half-century in IPL history in the ninth over. He took just 32 balls to reach the milestone, guiding a delivery from Kallis toward backward square leg for two runs.
The First Century
Unstoppable after his fifty, McCullum accelerated even further. He needed just 53 balls to reach the first-ever IPL century, bringing up the milestone in the 16th over with a couple of runs off Ashley Noffke.
The First IPL Win
Powered by McCullum’s blistering 158 off 73 balls*, KKR posted a massive 222/3 in 20 overs. The Kiwi batter single-handedly dominated, as the next-highest scorer, Ricky Ponting, managed only 20 off 20 balls.
RCB, in response, collapsed under pressure. Ajit Agarkar led KKR’s bowling attack with 3/25 in four overs, while Ashok Dinda and Sourav Ganguly chipped in with two wickets each. RCB crumbled for just 82 runs in 15.1 overs, handing KKR a commanding 140-run victory in IPL’s first-ever match.
The First Player of the Match Award
Unsurprisingly, McCullum walked away with the Player of the Match award, thanks to his electrifying knock, which included 10 fours and 13 sixes.
IPL 2025 – A Nostalgic Rematch
As KKR and RCB prepare to clash again in IPL 2025’s opening match, fans will relive memories of that unforgettable 2008 showdown. Can this season’s encounter deliver similar fireworks? Stay tuned for live updates on all things IPL!