When Brendon McCullum smashed 158* to stun RCB in IPL curtain-raiser

When the Indian Premier League IPL took its first breath on a warm evening in Bengaluru few could have predicted the cultural and sporting phenomenon it would become Born out of curiosity innovation and a touch of skepticism the league promised entertainment but what unfolded that night was beyond imaginationBrendon McCullum the swashbuckling wicketkeeperbatter from New Zealand turned the inaugural match into a spectacle for the ages Walking out to open for the Kolkata Knight Riders alongside captain Sourav Ganguly against Rahul Dravidled Royal Challengers Bangalore side McCullum produced an innings that not only etched his name into cricketing folklore but also set the tone for IPLrsquos audacious futureThe igar of KKR amp IPLs firstever Centurion OnThisDay in 2008 Brendon McCullum became a Knight pictwittercomxyhSx4XHtimdash KolkataKnightRiders KKRiders February 4 2024With fearless intent and unmatched flair McCullum unleashed a relentless assault on the RCB bowlers hammering an unbeaten 158 runs off just 73 deliveries His innings was a symphony of powerhitting and precision peppered with 10 boundaries and a staggering 13 sixes The iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium normally a fortress of noise was reduced to stunned silence only to erupt in awe at the mayhem unfolding before themMcCullumrsquos 158 was not just the first century in IPL history it stood as the leaguersquos highest individual score for five long years His heroics propelled KKR to a mammoth total of 222 for 3 in their 20 overs As if scripted to perfection the bowlers backed up the batters with clinical precision Ashok Dinda 2 for 9 Ajit Agarkar 3 for 25 Ishant Sharma 1 for 7 and even Ganguly 2 for 21 ripped through the RCB batting lineup skittling them out for a mere 82 in 151 overs IPL On this day in 2008 Brendon McCullum turned the very first page of the IPL into a blockbuster He played a record innings of 15873 vs RCB at ChinnaSwamy Stadium that Daypictwittercom2HN7afZjicmdash _ StoneCold0008 April 18 2025That night cricket changed The IPL wasnt just born it was baptized in fire sixes and roaring crowdsRCB vs PBKS IPL 2025 at a glanceRoyal Challengers Bengaluru will look to break their winless streak at home as they take on a buoyant Punjab Kings outfit in a crucial IPL 2025 clash on Friday However their quest for a maiden home victory this season could hinge on their ability to neutralize the threat posed by the crafty Yuzvendra ChahalChahal renowned for his guile and control is expected to be a key weapon in Punjabrsquos arsenal The legspinner along with offspinner Glenn Maxwell will be aware of the challenges RCB batters have faced against spin at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium this season Notably R Sai Kishore 222 for Gujarat Titans Kuldeep Yadav 217 and Vipraj Nigam 218 both Delhi Capitals all found success exploiting the surfacersquos responsiveness once the field restrictions were easedAdding to the intrigue is the familiarity both Chahal and Maxwell possess with the Bengaluru pitch and conditions having spent multiple seasons as part of the RCB setup Their inside knowledge could prove vital in strategizing against the home sidersquos batting unitFrom a tactical standpoint RCB might draw some comfort from the context of their previous home games In both defeats to GT and DC they batted first in dry nodew conditions conditions that arguably offered greater assistance to spinOn the flip side RCB arenrsquot without spin options of their own The presence of Krunal Pandya and the promising Suyash Sharma gives the hosts a chance to fight fire with fire in the middle oversMeanwhile Punjabrsquos pace contingent featuring Arshdeep Singh and Marco Jansen may not carry the star power of Josh Hazlewood or Bhuvneshwar Kumar but they offer enough versatility and swing to keep the RCB top order on its toesatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params