Brendon McCullum's 158-run knock against RCB in 2008 gave a glimpse of what IPL was bringing: Nikhil Chopra

The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has already kicked off, and in a couple of days, the excitement for the two-month long tournament is skyrocketing. The season has already delivered noteworthy knocks, excellent bowling spells, and spectacular catches. It has cemented its position as one of the most decorative franchise tournaments globally.

The Indian Premier League knocked off the cricketing world right from the very first match in 2008. Kolkata Knight Riders took on Royal Challengers Bangalore in the tournament’s opener, and as they say, the coming event cast its shadow; Brendon McCullum’s 158-run knock did the same.

While speaking about the knock on Sky247.net, which presents Not Just Cricket Show on CricTracker, former cricketer Nikhil Chopra said, “That blistering knock remains at top for me. At that time, hardly anyone knew what kind of cricket it would produce as most traditional players back then used to play 50-over or Test cricket.” 

“But, McCullum’s knock showed what Indian Premier League was bringing for everyone. The kind of entertaining cricket with so much action on the ground was unseen. But, 15 years after, the league is reigning at the helm and everyone associated with cricket wants to be part of this league,” he added.

IPL has produced a lot of talent for India

Indeed, the 15-year-old Indian Premier League is just getting younger and possessing more power with each passing year as more quality players deliver more quality cricket. The IPL has not just been a T20 franchise tournament that happens for a month, but its impact remains for the whole year. The legends like late Shane Warne graced the tournament with his presence and went on to win the inaugural season for the Rajasthan franchise.

There is a long list of cricket greats who have marked their presence in the tournament and enhanced the league’s stature with their association. Not to forget, the IPL has also provided a platform to some of the most talented youngsters who displayed their potential in the league, impressed everyone and got a maiden call-up at the national level. Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, and KL Rahul are a few of many such players.