The Indian Premier League (IPL) was started in the year 2008 with an aim of finding new talent for the future. BCCI has been successful in finding several new stars like Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and many others.
Before the beginning of IPL, the Indian team was believed to be a batsman-oriented team which was always dependent on its batsmen. The bowlers were often slammed for their lack of pace and fitness levels while the fielding was also not up to the mark.
But after the IPL, the standard of Indian cricket has improved by leaps and bounds as India has one of the best fast bowling attacks in the world right now. Also, India stands among the top fielding sides of the world. Talking about the bowling skills, very few fans would remember who were the first wicket-takers of their favorite franchises. Find out it, here:
Royal Challengers Bangalore – Zaheer Khan
The first batsman to lose his wicket in IPL history was none other than the current BCCI President, Sourav Ganguly. In the match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore, RCB’s left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan dismissed Ganguly in the sixth over of the game and Jacques Kallis became the first fielder to take a catch in IPL.
Kolkata Knight Riders – Ishant Sharma
Kolkata Knight Riders had registered a big win in the first match of IPL 2008 and their bowlers played a key role in their success. Ishant Sharma had bowled a terrific spell of 3 overs where he conceded only 7 runs and picked up the crucial wicket of Rahul Dravid. By rattling the stumps of Dravid, Sharma became the first KKR bowler to take a wicket.
Kings XI Punjab – Brett Lee
Australia’s legendary fast bowler, Brett Lee donned the Kings XI Punjab jersey in the first few seasons of IPL and the right-arm pacer dismissed Parthiv Patel in the first match of Punjab. Patel lost his wicket caught behind as he edged one ball straight into the hands of Kumar Sangakkara.
Chennai Super Kings – Manpreet Gony
Former Indian pacer, Manpreet Gony was the first CSK bowler to take a wicket in IPL as in the match against Punjab, Gony dismissed the opposition team’s opener, Karan Goel.
Delhi Daredevils – Glenn McGrath
Another legendary Aussie pacer to feature on this elite is Glenn McGrath. The right-arm medium-pace bowler who was known for his brilliant line and length picked up the first wicket for Delhi Daredevils (now known as Delhi Capitals) in IPL. He dismissed India U-19 star Taruwar Kohli while playing against Rajasthan Royals.
Rajasthan Royals – Shane Watson
Australian all-rounder, Shane Watson will go down as the best player of Rajasthan Royals in IPL history as he was the cornerstone of the team from 2008 to 2015. Watson was also the first Royals bowler to take a wicket in IPL as he got the better of Virender Sehwag in the game between Rajasthan and Delhi.
Mumbai Indians – Dhawal Kulkarni
Local lad, Dhawal Kulkarni was the first player to scalp a wicket for the most successful team in IPL history, Mumbai Indians. Playing against Royal Challengers Bangalore, the right-arm medium pacer sent West Indian legend Shivnarine Chanderpaul back to the pavilion but unfortunately, Mumbai could not win that match.
Sunrisers Hyderabad – Thisara Perera
An unlikely name to feature in this list, Sri Lankan all-rounder Thisara Perera was the first man to pick up a wicket for Sunrisers Hyderabad when they made their debut against Pune Warriors in IPL 2013. In a low-scoring affair, Perera sent the Pune opener Robin Uthappa back in the seventh over of their innings.
