Unforgettable IPL Memories #10 - The "McCullum Massacre" in the inaugural game

April 18, 2008 – A new chapter in the glorious book named “Cricket” was penned that day. With the white ball travelling to every part of the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, it was like switching from a feature phone to a smartphone. The world was oblivious to such brutal striking and it was the beginning of a new era in the game’s history.

What the Indian Premier League (IPL) has done over the last 10 years is inexplicably tremendous. With the 11th edition just about a month away from commencement, let’s drive down on the memory lane and relive some of the best moments of this cricketing extravaganza. What better way to embark this ecstatic session than reliving the first major memory IPL has given us, the Brendon McCullum’s “McCullum Massacre” which set the tone for the next decade.

Scoring a 100 in a T20 game was as valuable as a triple-ton in Tests at that point. And in walked Brendon McCullum of the Kolkata Knight Riders, alongside the prince of the Garden City Sourav Ganguly. Boundaries started to flow right from the outset. Some of the scoop shots and top edges which went all the way over the head of the wicketkeeper came as a huge surprise for everyone, something they had never witnessed in that age.

An innings of a lifetime

In the beautiful Gold-Black outfit, the Knight Riders set the stage on fire, thanks to the Kiwi legend. Ferocious cut shots, delicate scoops, rapacious pull shots and some pretty fine running, this innings from McCullum was a complete package. Although the fans at the Chinnaswamy stadium were aware of their allegiances, they thoroughly enjoyed McCullum spanking their own bowlers.

Those flames bursting out of the willow barbariously ravaged Rahul Dravid’s bowlers. 25,000 fielders in the stands, who otherwise would be just spectators, had more work to do than the men hopelessly guarding the boundary rope. Every commentator that day kept screaming out of joy watching “Brendon – The Brutal Batterer”, the voices which still echo freshly in the ears of many fans.

When he picked up a brace and reached the three figures in the 16th over, the thunderous cheer from the Bangalore fans showed why he’s one of the most loved cricketers ever. The King of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan kept bowing from the stands. McCullum finished with 158 off 73 balls, which is still the second-best individual score in IPL history and 4th best in T20 cricket. It was also the first-ever 150+ score in a T20 game and it has been repeated only 9 times since.

Chasing down 223, RCB were bowled out for a paltry score of 82 runs, gifting KKR a mammoth 140-run victory. That was the biggest victory in IPL history in terms of runs for a long time, before the Mumbai Indians registered a 146-run win over the Delhi Daredevils in the 2017 edition at the Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi.

After 10 long and beautiful seasons, the league throws yet another irony. Brendon McCullum will be donning the RCB jersey for the 11th edition under the leadership of Virat Kohli. Incidentally, a 19-year-old Kohli was one of those fielders who kept watching the ball fly like a comet in the sky that night!

Keep following CricTracker to relive the other 9 Unforgettable IPL memories.