3 uncapped bowlers to take a wicket off the first ball of an IPL match ft. Tushar Deshpande
The Indian Premier League (IPL) serves as a platform for upcoming cricketers to make a name for themselves and fulfill their dream of representing their national team on a global stage.
The Indian team, over the years, has seen several cricketers emerging from the IPL and shining on the international stage, thereby becoming a regular on the side. T20 cricket is something that demands rigor from players, be it with the bat or the ball.
While several established players are famous for providing their teams with the desired start, there are a few domestic players who go unnoticed, even when they achieve unique milestones.
While we talk about Trent Boult’s prowess at striking in the first over, there have been a few lesser-known bowlers who have handed their sides the crucial breakthrough on the very first delivery of an IPL match.
On that note, let’s look at three such uncapped bowlers who have taken a wicket off the first delivery of an IPL match.
#3 Deepak Chahar (CSK) vs Shikhar Dhawan (SRH), IPL 2018
Deepak Chahar dismissed Shikhar Dhawan on the very first delivery of the Qualifier 1 match of IPL 2018 between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). The then Kane Williamson-led SRH batted first as Dhawan and Shreevats Goswami opened the innings.
Chahar proved why he was CSK’s asset in the powerplay. Showcasing his prowess with the new ball, the CSK pacer sent the in-form Dhawan packing off the match’s opening delivery, thereby mounting the opposition batters under pressure early on.
That was the only wicket that Chahar picked up in the game, as he finished with 1/31 in four overs. CSK eventually won the game by two wickets to make their way into the summit clash, where they faced SRH again.
The Yellow Army defeated Hyderabad yet again in the final to lift their third IPL title that year. After an impressive IPL 2018 season with CSK, Chahar was handed his T20I debut on July 8 of that year in India’s match against England.
#2 Jagadeesha Suchith (SRH) vs Virat Kohli (RCB), IPL 2022
In the 54th match of IPL 2022 between SRH and the Royal Challengers Bangalore (now Bengaluru), an uncapped Jagadeesha Suchith grabbed the spotlight on the first delivery of the game by dismissing former RCB skipper Virat Kohli.
Though Suchith hasn’t found his way into the Indian team yet, he surely made his way to an elite list of players with a wicket off the first delivery of an IPL match. Opening the bowling for SRH, Suchith bowled a full delivery on the pads as Kohli chipped it on the leg side, only for the ball to find Kane Williamson at short midwicket.
Suchith went on to dismiss Rajat Patidar in that game, finishing with figures of 2/30. While his outing against RCB started on a celebratory note, things turned topsy-turvy for SRH as the game progressed. Kohli’s wicket did not create much of an impact on RCB’s batting unit as they put up a fine total of 192/3.
Wanindu Hasaranga then stood out with the ball and finished with a five-wicket haul as RCB clinched a comfortable 67-run win.
#1 Tushar Deshpande (CSK) vs Phil Salt (KKR), IPL 2024
CSK bowler Tushar Deshpande is the latest entrant in this unique list, having achieved the feat in his team’s home game against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2024. The two sides squared off in the 22nd match of IPL 2024 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
After being out to bat first, KKR’s in-form openers Phil Salt and Sunil Narine walked into the crease to start off the proceedings. Deshpande was given the new ball duties in Deepak Chahar’s absence, and the 28-year-old did not disappoint.
With Phil Salt taking the strike for KKR, Deshpande bowled a wide outside off delivery that the former tried to drive. Unable to judge the length, Salt ended up playing the ball away from his body only to find Ravindra Jadeja at point, who caught the ball with perfection.
Though he ended up leaking runs in the game later on, Deshpande finished with figures of 3/33 in his four-over spell as his scalps included the deadly Rinku Singh and Andre Russell. Courtesy of his bowling efforts combined with Jadeja’s spin-bowling masterclass of 3/18, CSK restricted KKR to a meager 137/9 in the first innings.