It’s been over 17 years since the Indian Premier League (IPL) burst onto the evolving cricketing scene. Over the years, the biggest and most expensive T20 league has delivered many remarkable moments.
From swashbuckling batting performances to last-ball finishes, the IPL has never failed to entertain fans. Some of the notable moments are still fresh in the minds of fans, and in this piece, we take you down memory lane.
Here are the 5 most memorable moments that unfolded in IPL history.
5. Adam Gilchrist’s First and Only IPL Wicket
This dates back to 2013, when Adam Gilchrist was playing his last IPL game. The Australian keeper was leading the Kings XI Punjab against the Mumbai Indians in Dharamsala.
Gilly had an off day with the bat, as he got out after scoring 5 runs. But he signed off from the IPL with his first and only T20 wicket.
KXIP posted 183 runs in the first innings. In response, Mumbai was outdone by Punjab bowlers, with the game almost done and dusted as the game entered the final over.
MI needed 51 runs off 6 balls, and that’s when Gilchrist decided to roll over his arms in the 20th over. This was the first time he bowled in a T20 match.
Harbhajan Singh was on strike to face Gilchrist’s first-ever ball. Harbhajan slogged the ball straight into the hands of the long-on fielder, and Gilchrist got his maiden T20 wicket off his first delivery.
After the fielder caught the ball, Gilchrist started celebrating it by rolling on the ground and doing the ‘Gangnam Style’ dance. With that, he ended up with a T20 career bowling average of 0 and a strike rate of 1!
4. First Double Super Over in IPL
The IPL has witnessed many close games, but the clash between the Mumbai Indians and the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in the 2020 season remains an iconic one. The match played in Dubai saw the first-ever double Super Over happen in the IPL.
Batting first, MI scored 176/6 and later, KXIP tied the match by exactly scoring 176 runs in 20 overs. The match went into the Super Over.
KXIP came to bat first but could only muster 5 runs in 6 balls. With the target of 6 runs, it looked like MI would easily win the Super Over. However, Punjab’s Mohammed Shami didn’t let loose and gave away only 4 runs in 5 balls.
The equation came down to Mumbai requiring 2 runs off 1 ball. Quinton de Kock played the shot towards cover but got run out while attempting the second run, resulting in the Super Over also ending in a tie.
Then the second Super Over followed, with Mumbai marching out to bat. This time, MI managed to squeeze 11 runs out of the 6 balls.
Now, KXIP needed 12 to win the game, and the mighty Gayle started with a six. Next ball, they took the single, and Mayank Agarwal came to the crease.
With 5 required in 4 balls, Agarwal sealed the match with 2 back-to-back fours and handed Mumbai a heart-breaking defeat.
3. Aditya Tare’s Match-Winning Six
It was the last league match of the 2014 season, and the Mumbai Indians (MI) were taking on the Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
It was a do-or-die match for both teams, as the final playoff spot was up for grabs. Keeping that in mind, RR posted a challenging total of 189 runs on the board.
Since both teams had the same points (14), MI needed to chase down 190 runs in 87 balls (14.3 overs) to qualify based on the net run rate. MI had a steep task in front of them.
During the chase, MI faced setbacks, but Corey Anderson kept fighting with his fiery knock of 95* off 44 balls. Ambati Rayudu also chipped in with 30 runs off 10 balls that pulled MI close to the target.
Mumbai reached 188 runs in 14.2 overs. Now, they needed 2 runs off 1 ball, but Rayudu got run out while taking the second run. The scores were level at the cutoff mark.
However, Mumbai had one last chance to seal their playoff spot by hitting the next ball for a boundary. Enter Aditya Tare, and he smashed the full toss for a six over the square leg to take MI into the IPL playoffs.
That match-winning hit sent the Mumbai dugout and the Wankhede crowd into a frenzy. Tare ran across the ground with his shirt pulled over his head. A moment that will be cherished for ages!
Also Read | Explained: IPL Playoffs Format and Qualification
2. Gayle Storm
Chris Gayle is one of the best batters to have played in the IPL. There are a few batters who take on the bowlers like he did.
Gayle’s batting might was always on display in the league, and one such instance came against the Pune Warriors in the 2013 season.
Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy witnessed a batting massacre. Gayle started hitting boundaries as usual, but rain played a spoilsport.
Once the rain stopped, the crowd witnessed a stormy innings by the man himself. Gayle ripped apart Pune’s bowling attack, sending the ball sailing out of the park.
Pune’s bowlers had no clue how to stop the Gayle Storm, with bowlers conceding boundaries across the ground. Gayle brought up the fastest-ever IPL hundred off 30 balls and eventually remained unbeaten on 175, proving why he is the Universe Boss.
If that wasn’t enough, Gayle grabbed 2 wickets while bowling the last over of the match to add a cherry on top.
1. A Thunderous Start to IPL
Firsts are always special, aren’t they? The same is true about the IPL’s first-ever match.
The extravaganza took off in 2008 with a clash between the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
No one knew what to expect from the season opener, but everyone was taken by a storm. KKR’s opener, Brendon McCullum, lit up the stage with his fiery knock.
The Kiwi batter tore apart RCB’s bowling attack, slamming 10 fours and 13 maximums. McCullum faced 73 balls and accumulated an unbeaten 158, helping the team post 222 runs on the board.
With that, the IPL got its first centurion and the first 200+ team total. That thunderous start set the IPL in the right direction.
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