IPL 2018: 10 lesser-known facts about the IPL
The Indian Premier League, regarded as the world's most awaited and prestigious Twenty20 tournament, is all set to begin from April 7 at the at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The initial face-off will be between the defending champions Mumbai Indians and two-time title winners Chennai Super Kings.
In the 10 editions of IPL that have been played, the viewers have been entertained to the fullest. There has been plenty of drama in and outside the playing field. Each season has had some unusual incident or the other that created even more buzz about the tournament.
Four tons by Virat Kohli in a single season, hat-tricks by several bowlers, unbelievable catches, exciting super overs, and much more - all of this has been witnessed by millions of viewers across the globe.
The IPL has a dedicated fan following, but still, there are numerous exciting facts and happenings that many are unaware of.
Be prepared to get bewildered with some lesser-known facts about the cash-rich Indian Premier League:
#10 Zaheer Khan is the only player to feature in the 1st and 500th IPL games
Former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan is, amazingly, the only player to be the part of the very first game and the 500th game of the IPL.
In the very first season of the IPL, Zaheer was the part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore team who were up against the Kolkata Knight Riders. Zaheer ended up on the losing side; it was Brendon McCullum who made the opening match memorable by scoring a blistering hundred.
Zaheer also featured in the 500th game of the IPL. It was the 8th season of the IPL, and the match in question was between the Delhi Daredevils and the Rajasthan Royals. Zaheer was then the part of the Delhi team.
It is interesting to note that 'Zak' ended up on the losing side in this game as well.