'A giant leap for mankind' - Twitter explodes as Dwayne Bravo reaches 500 T20 wickets, Pravin Tambe becomes first Indian to play in CPL

Bravo picked up his 500th T20 wicket today

Today's Caribbean Premier League (CPL) game between the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) and the St Lucia Zouks (STZ) saw many records being broken.

All-rounder Dwayne Bravo became the first bowler in the history of the game to pick up 500 wickets in the T20 format when he dismissed STZ opener Rahkeem Cornwall. His achievement is put into perspective by the fact that second on the list is veteran pacer Lasith Malinga, with 390 scalps.

Indian leg-spinner Pravin Tambe, who was deemed ineligible to play in the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as he had already played in a foreign franchise league, became the first cricketer from the country to play in the CPL.

Kolkata Knight Riders' (who bought him in the IPL auction) sister franchise Trinbago Knight Riders gave the 48-year-old a chance in the playing XI. After being carted for a six and a four by Najibullah Zadran, he picked up the southpaw's wicket with a lovely flighted googly, becoming the first Indian to take a wicket in the CPL.

Twitter had a lot to say about the events of the CPL game, with both Dwayne Bravo and Pravin Tambe lauded for their respective achievements.

The former saw praise pour in from all corners of the cricketing fraternity, with his IPL team - the Chennai Super Kings - calling the achievement a 'giant leap for mankind'. Tambe, on the other hand, had praise heaped upon him for his fighting spirit and never-say-die attitude.

Here's how Twitter reacted to the incidents:

Dwayne Bravo lauded for 500 T20 wickets

#CPL2020: Dwayne Bravo creates history by becoming the first man in T20 cricket history to take 500 wickets.

Dwayne Bravo - 500 wickets
Lasith Malinga - 390 wickets
Sunil Narine - 383 wickets
Imran Tahir - 374 wickets
Sohail Tanvir - 356 wickets #DwayneBravo #CPL20#Cricket pic.twitter.com/1xiIhPGYCW
— Aayush Sharma 🏳️‍🌈 (@JournalistWFH) August 26, 2020

Dwayne Bravo !! 👏

Fantastic Five Hundred for the Champion. Congratulations @DJBravo47. Looking forward for the Super 700 soon. 💛#CPLT20 #WhistlePodu pic.twitter.com/7MP419Ap6t
— Whistle Podu Army ® - CSK Fan Club (@CSKFansOfficial) August 26, 2020

Dwayne Bravo, a serial topper in T20 cricket across the globe
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) August 26, 2020

25th Aug 2020: James Anderson became the first fast bowler to take 600 Test Wickets.

26th Aug 2020: Dwayne Bravo became the first bowler to take 500 T20 Wickets.
— Broken Cricket (@BrokenCricket) August 26, 2020

Dwayne Bravo has took
*100+ Wickets in IPL.
*100+ Wickets in CPL.

Only bowler to take 100+ Wickets in two different tournaments.💛💜 pic.twitter.com/jtN6J2BACS
— Billgates Billu (@BillgatesBillu) August 26, 2020

A small step for Champion, a giant leap for mankind. #WhistlePodu for the only player to get to 500 T20 wickets. The fact that no one else has even made it to 400 makes it TRULY BRAVO! 🔥🦁💛 pic.twitter.com/5OF8dUCbIC
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) August 26, 2020

Pravin Tambe hailed for his CPL debut (and wicket)

48 years young ✅
The first Indian player to play in the CPL ✅
The oldest player to debut in the CPL ✅

Age is just a number for Pravin Tambe 👏pic.twitter.com/9XSGN7S3lV
— Vishal Singh (@vishalsingh_IND) August 26, 2020

I'm happy for Pravin Tambe

He was disqualified earlier this year for participating in Dubai t10 league,after being sold to KKR in Dec auction.

Today, he makes his debut in CPL and gets wicket of his 1st over

Knight Riders team management is the best when taking care of players
— Dheeraj S (@DheerajS777) August 26, 2020

"Pravin Tambe"
I have heard many people say age doesn't matter.
But only proven example I see is this man "Pravin Tambe". pic.twitter.com/q5cBjMAyuN
— Raj Mohan (@raj_aarem) August 26, 2020

Persistence pays off - the Pravin Tambe story!

A Hero Maximum to start, a four to follow - but the googly deceives Najibullah completely, it's an easy catch for captain KP, and Tambe has his 1ST EVER HERO CPL WICKET!

Zouks 74/4 in the 12th.#CPL20 #CricketPlayedLouder #SLZvTKR
— CPL T20 (@CPL) August 26, 2020

Pravin Tambe becomes:

First Indian to play in the CPL and
first Indian to take a wicket in the CPL.
— Broken Cricket (@BrokenCricket) August 26, 2020

Pravin Tambe sir more than double my age and still has better fitness than me. Nothing but gaali to me.
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) August 26, 2020

Oldest player to feature in a T20 match in a full-member country:-
48y 323d - PRAVIN TAMBE🇮🇳 (in WI)
46y 350d - Brad Hogg🇦🇺
46y 179d - Ajit Ekanayake🇱🇰
44y 289d - Misbah-ul-Haq🇵🇰
44y 181d - Indika de Saram🇱🇰

Tambe overtook Hogg and Ekanayake today, to take first place.#CPL2020
— Kausthub (@kaustats) August 26, 2020

What's next for Pravin Tambe and Dwayne Bravo?

Pravin Tambe will be keen on playing more games in the CPL as he continues to defy age and the odds to excel in the T20 format. TKR are the favourites for the CPL title, and Kieron Pollard's side could use the former Rajasthan Royals spinner's services over the next few weeks.

Dwayne Bravo also has the same objectives, and he will join MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings side in the UAE after the completion of the CPL.