IPL 2023: Even though IPL 2023 will be the league’s sixteenth season, everyone still recalls the inaugural game that took place on April 18, 2008.
Brendon McCullum’s astonishing unbroken 158 off 73 deliveries, which helped the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) demolish the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium after a flashy inauguration ceremony, provided a lyrical preview of what was to follow.
As they say, the rest is history. The IPL is still the sport’s biggest spectacular showcase event. It keeps getting higher in terms of both performance and cash.
Many of the players that participated in that initial match between RCB and KKR are still working with the competition as coaches.
Let’s take a look at five of these sportsmen who played in the league’s inaugural game in 2008 and will now wear the coach’s hat for the IPL in 2023.
1. Ricky Ponting
IPL 2023: Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, the most well-known figure on this list, played for KKR in the first IPL season. He made just a run-a-ball 20 in his introduction while batting at No. 3 before being removed by Jacques Kallis.
As the head coach of the Delhi Capitals (DC) from 2018, Ponting will oversee the league’s sixth consecutive season in 2023. Rishabh Pant, the team captain, is expected to miss the entire season due to the terrible car accident he sustained last month. Therefore he has a difficult task ahead of him.
2. Mark Boucher
Mark Boucher, a legendary South African wicketkeeper, competed for RCB for the first three IPL years before, coincidentally, switching to KKR the next year. In the league’s opening game, he failed to accomplish a stumping or a catch. And only managed to score seven runs off nine deliveries.
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Before the IPL 2023 season, Boucher was named as the Mumbai Indians’ (MI) head coach after resigning as the coach of the South African men’s team. It will be intriguing to see if MI, under Boucher’s leadership, can move past its poor IPL 2022 campaign.
3. Wasim Jaffer:
IPL 2023: Wasim Jaffer, a former Test opener for India, and Rahul Dravid started the RCB batting in the inaugural IPL game. He suffered a torturous stay in the middle before passing away for a 16-ball six.
Jaffer has previously worked as the batting coach for the Punjab Kings (PBKS) and has been rehired in the same position for the IPL 2023. Trevor Bayliss, who succeeded Anil Kumble as the team’s new head coach, will supervise him.
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4. Ajit Agarkar
Former Indian bowler Ajit Agarkar, a well-liked figure in the post-match interview these days, had a strong IPL debut. In the league’s inaugural match against RCB, he took three wickets in four overs while sporting the KKR uniform.
Agarkar was hired as the Delhi Capitals’ assistant coach last season. He will remain in that position through the IPL’s 2023 season.
5. Sunil Joshi:
Sunil Joshi, a veteran of Indian county cricket, was a dependable warrior with the ball for Karnataka. The left-arm bowler also played for the nation in 15 Tests and 69 ODIs. He is most known for his 5/6 off 10 overs performance against South Africa in an ODI in 1999.
Joshi played for RCB in the inaugural IPL game and sent down three wicketless overs for 26 runs. He was on the recently disbanded senior selection panel for India and has now appointed the Punjab Kings as their spinning bowling coach for the 2023 IPL.
