On this day, on April 18, 2008, the Indian Premier League (IPL) began its inaugural season in Bengaluru with a match between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). (More Cricket News)
New Zealand wicketkeeper and KKR opener Brendon McCullum stole the show by hammering a breathtaking 158 off just 73 balls--the highest individual score in T20 cricket at the time. His blitz, studded with 10 fours and 13 sixes, powered KKR to 222/3.
RCB crumbled under the pressure. But the result of the match was almost irrelevant. What mattered was what this knock signified — the beginning of India라이브 바카라 biggest sporting carnival and the world's richest cricket league.
RCB, stunned by the onslaught, folded for just 82, losing by a massive 140 runs — one of the largest defeats in IPL history. The home team had no answers to KKR라이브 바카라 dominance with the bat and ball.
The night also witnessed Bollywood-style celebrations as franchise owner Shah Rukh Khan danced in delight. McCullum라이브 바카라 brutal assault gave IPL the grand opening it craved and set the tone for a cricketing revolution.
The Grand Vision of the IPL
The brainchild of then BCCI vice-president Lalit Modi, the IPL was an idea few truly understood at the time. A city-based franchise model. Player auctions that fetched jaw-dropping amounts — MS Dhoni going to Chennai Super Kings for $1.5 million.
Cheerleaders, strategic time-outs, DJs in the stands, team anthems. It was cricket, but with a flair the sport had never seen before. The inaugural season had a prize pool of $3 million and lasted for 44 days, with matches played in front of jam-packed crowds.
Strong 18 Years
What started as a leap of faith quickly transformed into a full-blown movement. Cities came to a standstill during matches. Families and friends gathered in living rooms or at roadside screens. For those two months, the IPL became religion.
Seventeen seasons later, the IPL has completed more than 1,000 matches, with global icons and rising stars lighting up the stage. It has weathered controversies, expanded its reach, and become a permanent fixture on the global cricket calendar. And through it all, that first evening in Bengaluru stands tall as its origin story.
The withdrawal syndrome that cricket fans felt once the 2008 edition ended was real. But it didn’t last long—because IPL came back stronger year after year. Cities like Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Jaipur wear their franchise colours like a badge of honour.
