5 players from the first-ever IPL match who are a part of IPL 2024 ft. Ricky Ponting as coach
It's the 17th anniversary of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the world's biggest-ever T20 league. The first edition got underway on April 18, 2008 in M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) clashing with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
RCB won the toss and elected to field first, which proved to be a costly mistake for them. Although KKR skipper Sourav Ganguly (10) could not trouble the scores much, he stitched together a 61-run stand in less than six overs with Brendon McCullum.
Thereafter, McCullum went all guns blazing to smash every RCB bowler all around the park. He remained unbeaten on 158 off 73, with 10 fours and 13 sixes to drive KKR to a total of 222/3.
In response, only Praveen Kumar (18) was the double-digit scorer for the home team as they were bundled out for 82. Ajit Agarkar was the wrecker-in-chief with three scalps for KKR.
On that note, let's check out the five players who have made their presence in IPL 2024 as well.
#1 Virat Kohli
In the inaugural game, Virat Kohli was dismissed on one off five; however, he set several IPL records alight with his superlative performances in the following years. With over 7,600 runs, Kohli is the leading run-scorer in IPL history at an average of 38.12, with eight centuries.
In the 2024 season, the 35-year-old is currently the orange-cap holder, scoring 361 runs in seven innings for RCB.
#2 Ishant Sharma
The tall pacer, Ishant Sharma played for KKR in the first IPL game and returned with figures of 1/7 in three overs, while taking the wicket of RCB skipper Rahul Dravid.
The 2024 season sees him featuring for Delhi Capitals as the front-line pacer. He has picked up six wickets in as many games at an economy of 9.76. His best moment was certainly breaching the defense of Andre Russell with a beautifully executed yorker.
#3 Ricky Ponting
Back then, Ricky Ponting arrived at No. 3 for KKR and contributed 20 off as many balls, with a four and a six. He stitched together an important 51-run partnership with McCullum to continue the team's momentum.
Since 2018, Ponting has been serving as a head coach of Delhi Capitals in the cash-rich league. Under him, the Capitals qualified for the playoffs for three successive seasons (2019, 2020 and 2021), while emerging as a runner-up in 2020.
#4 Wriddhiman Saha
Although the wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha didn't get an opportunity to bat, he held on to a solitary catch of RCB batter Cameron White in the first-ever IPL game.
Saha has been featuring for the Gujarat Titans since the 2022 season. In 2024, he has contributed 78 runs in five games, with a top score of 25.
#5 Sourav Ganguly
KKR skipper Sourav Ganguly was dismissed on 10 off 12, with two fours against RCB on April 18, 2008. He was a part of the franchise until 2010, and then plied his trade for Pune Warriors in the following two seasons.
Ahead of the 2019 season, Ganguly was appointed the advisor of Delhi Capitals. However, he vacated the post after he became the President of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). He then returned in 2023 and now works as the Capitals' Director of Cricket.