IPL’s Firsts: From first ball to game-changing records, here’s a look at T20 league’s landmarks before 18th season

The Indian Premier League (IPL) will enter its 18th edition on March 22, 2025, when Kolkata Knight Riders take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Eden Gardens. Interestingly, the first-ever IPL match was played on April 18 in 2008.

Since its inception in 2008, the Indian Premier League has grown in stature to call itself the richest league in the world. The IPL has also been a stepping stone for several cricketers who went on to make big names in international cricket, such as Jasprit Bumrah and Sunil Narine.

With just a night to go before cricket's biggest carnival begins, let us take a look at the FIRSTS of Indian Premier League history.

Firsts in Indian Premier League

• IPL's first match: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 18, 2008.
• IPL's first toss: Rahul Dravid, then RCB captain, won the first-ever toss in IPL.
• Who played the first ball in IPL: Sourav Ganguly (KKR)
• Who bowled the first ball in IPL: Praveen Kumar (RCB)
• First-ever four in IPL: Brendon McCullum
• First-ever six in IPL: Brendon McCullum
• First-ever wicket in IPL: Sourav Ganguly, caught Jacques Kallis, bowled by Zaheer Khan.
• First-ever fifty in IPL: Brendon McCullum
• First-ever hundred in IPL: Brendon McCullum (158)
• First Win in IPL: KKR defeated RCB by 140 runs

• First Player of the Match in IPL: Brendon McCullum
• First Indian to score a hundred in IPL: Manish Pandey (RCB) vs Deccan Chargers in 2009
• First player to take IPL hat-trick: Lakshmipathy Balaji (CSK) vs Punjab Kings in 2008. He dismissed Piyush Chawla, Irfan Pathan and VRV Singh.
• First player to take a five-wicket haul in IPL: Sohail Tanvir (Rajasthan Royals) vs CSK in 2008.
• First IPL champion: Rajasthan Royals in 2008
• First Purple Cap winner in IPL: Sohail Tanvir (RR) - 22 wickets
• First Orange Cap winner in IPL: Shaun Marsh (KXIP) - 616 runs
• First team to score 200-plus runs in IPL: Kolkata Knight Riders - 222/3 vs RCB in 2008
• First run-out in IPL: Ashley Noffke (RCB) vs KKR in 2008
• First-ever stumping in IPL: Mark Boucher (RCB) effected the first stumping in IPL. Robin Uthappa (MI) was stumped by Boucher off Balachandra Akhil's bowling.
• First Impact Player of IPL: Tushar Deshpande (CSK) was the first-ever impact player in IPL history.
• First Emerging Player award in IPL: Shreevats Goswami (RCB)