IPL Trivia: The First Ball of Every Season (I) -- Who Bowled Them?
The Indian Premier League (IPL) boasts a rich history with unique stories for each season. One such interesting story lies in the very first deliveries bowled in each IPL edition. Here’s a look at the bowlers who had the privilege of starting things off with the first ball, and the batsmen who faced them, for the IPL seasons between 2008 and 2016:
2008: History unfolded at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru when Praveen Kumar, the pace bowler for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), sent down the first delivery of the IPL ever. The batsman facing this historic ball was the legendary Sourav Ganguly, then representing Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Interestingly, Ganguly didn’t score from this first ball, running a leg bye after McCullum, his partner, got a nudge on his pads.
2009: The second season of the IPL saw another fast bowler, Manpreet Gony of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), bowling the first ball. This time, the batsman at the other end was the explosive Sri Lankan southpaw, Sanath Jayasuriya, playing for Mumbai Indians (MI).
Chennai Super Kings’ Manpreet Gony bowled the first ball of IPL 2009
2010: Turning to spin for the first ball, the 2010 season had Sri Lankan left-arm seamer Chaminda Vaas of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bowling to a young Indian batsman, Manoj Tiwary, who was playing for Delhi Daredevils (DD) at that time.
2011: The 2011 season saw the first ball being an off-break. Iqbal Abdulla, playing for Kochi Tuskers Kerala (KTK), sent down the delivery to another young Indian batsman, Srikkanth Anirudha, representing Rajasthan Royals (RR).
2012: Pace was back in the picture for the first ball of the 2012 season. The ever-green Lasith Malinga, representing Mumbai Indians (MI), unleashed the first delivery, which was faced by the South African batsman, Faf du Plessis, then playing for Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
2013: Another Australian speedster had the honor of bowling the first ball in 2013. Brett Lee of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) started the season off with a delivery faced by the exciting young Indian batsman, Unmuk Chand, who was playing for Delhi.
Zaheer Khan bowled the first ball of IPL 2014 for Delhi
2014: The left-arm fast bowling attack of Delhi Daredevils (DD) commenced the 2014 season. Zaheer Khan bowled the first ball, which was defended by the ever-reliable Indian opener, Gautam Gambhir, then the captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
2015: Another fast bowler from Delhi Daredevils (DD) got the nod to bowl the first ball of the 2015 season. Umesh Yadav steamed in with the opening delivery, which was faced by the Indian batting mainstay, Rohit Sharma, then representing Mumbai Indians (MI).
2016: The final season on this list saw another left-arm fast bowler, RP Singh of Gujarat Lions (GL), bowling the first ball. The batsman facing him was the West Indian opener, Lendl Simmons, who was playing for Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) at that time.
These first balls not only marked the beginning of each IPL season but also potentially set the tone for the matches to come. From established legends facing the first delivery to exciting youngsters getting their IPL baptism by fire, these opening moments encapsulate the essence of what makes the IPL such a thrilling tournament.
