IPL: 10 Players who impressed on their debut in cash-rich league

Kevon Cooper, David Wiese and Alzarri Joseph. (Photo Source: Twitter)

IPL is the centre of attraction each year. It’s been growing exponentially since 2008. There have been numerous instances when players played the IPL first and then for their respective national sides. The standard of the IPL is so high that they get the exposure to play international kind of cricket before they actually play it. They get to share the stage with international performers as well. 

Each year we get to see the debut of some good quality cricketers for their respective franchises. While some succumb to the pressure, some don’t and go on to have a great IPL beginning. Those who don’t manage to come through age-group cricket, sometimes get a chance in the IPL, and that often leads their way into the national team. 

There have been many instances that have come as a surprise where certain players performed extraordinarily in their very first IPL match. As we are celebrating 15 years of the Indian Premier League, let’s go back to memory lane and discuss some of the incredible debut individual performances in the IPL that left us in awe. 

1. Brendon McCullum’s 158* vs RCB, 2008

Brendon Mccullum (Photo Source: Twitter)

In the very first match of the IPL, Brendon McCullum set the tone for everyone with his swashbuckling innings. His sheer presence on the field that day showed the path of how T20 cricket would dominate in the next 10-15 years to come.

He smashed 13 sixes and 10 fours. His 73 ball-158 not out at the M Chinnaswammy Stadium was a spectacular show. He dominated the Royal Challengers Bangalore bowlers thoroughly.

The significance of that innings lies in the scorecard, nobody could cross the 20-run mark in the entire match. It still feels surreal when you look back at the names that played the match. ‘Baz’ as McCullum is fondly known took the world by surprise. Afterwards, we did get to see the impact it had on his batting going forward..

IPL got the push it needed to kickstart something special, back then it was more about the entertainment part involving Bollywood and stuff. But McCullum’s innings lit up the stage right from the get-go. IPL got off to an electrifying start and is getting stronger season by season.

 Surprisingly, till Venkatesh Iyer’s century in the ongoing season at Wankhede, no KKR player had reached the three-figure mark. It speaks volumes about the first-ever century in the IPL.

2. Michael Hussey’s 116* vs KXIP, 2008

Michael Hussey CSK. (Photo Source: BCCI)

The IPL 2008 got off to a thrilling start by virtue of McCullum’s breathtaking knock and it even got better when Michael Hussey took centre stage in the next game of the season.

CSK skipper MS Dhoni won the toss and opted to bat first against Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings). Mr. Cricket Michael Hussey was slotted to bat at number three. A late bloomer in international cricket, Hussey came to bat inside the powerplay and from thereon remained unbeaten till the end.

Unlike Baz, Huss relied on his technique more than muscle strength. His textbook cricketing shots showed that it can also fetch you runs no matter what the format is. His left-handed flamboyance was pleasant to the eyes in Mohali. His knock had 9 sixes and 8 fours.

He accumulated 116* runs off 54 balls and remained unbeaten. Who knew at that stage that Hussey and CSK will be a never-ending love story? Now he is with the team as their batting coach in the ongoing 16th edition. 

3. Kevon Cooper 11* and 4/26 vs KXIP, 2012

Kevon Cooper. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)

Trinidadian Kevin Cooper who didn’t play an international match for the West Indies, impressed highly on his debut IPL match. The year was 2012, the match was at Rajasthan Royals’ home – the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

They posted 191 runs on the board. Kevin showed his batting capabilities by scoring 11* runs off just three balls. It was time for him to run with the ball in hand as well. Even RR’s skipper back then Rahul Dravid spoke highly of him at the toss.

As soon as he came into the bowling attack he got rid of the dangerous-looking Paul Valthaty. In the next over, he got two Kings’ players out, one was Shaun Marsh and the other one was Abhishek Nayar. He almost broke the back of KXIP’s batting.

With his economical third over, he brought the pressure back on the opponent. Again Dravid called him to finish his four-over spell, in the penultimate over and he got Piyush Chawla out, by then the match was over for Kings XI Punjab.

He was the star of the Royals’ bowling attack, his four-wicket haul going at just 6.50 runs per over was gold dust. The only regret he might have alongside not playing for his national side could be missing out on the Player of the Match award in that very game as it went to his teammate Ajinkya Rahane. He went on to play 24 more IPL matches after that. 

4. Jasprit Bumrah 3/32 vs RCB, 2013

Jasprit Bumrah (Photo Source: twitter)

 

In the very first match that Ricky Ponting captained, he fielded a rookie seamer from Gujarat named Jasprit Bumrah in his playing XI. He had the ball in his hand in the fifth over and was against Virat Kohli. We all know what happened next, he trapped Virat Leg Before Wicket (LBW). 

In his second over, he got his would-be test colleague Mayank Agarwal out. Though he conceded some boundaries against Gayle, it was understandable, considering it was his first game. In the 13th over, he got Karun Nair’s wicket, and his first outing ended with a three-for spell. He was in the discussions mostly for his bowling action. An unusual one with a short run-up and raising his hand high above his head before delivering the ball.

Since then, Bumrah has been synonymous with the Mumbai Indians team. It’s been 10 years, they have been going really strong together. Unfortunately, he is not featuring in the ongoing edition due to his rehab.

5. David Wiese 4/33 and 47* vs MI, 2015

David Wiese. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)

Another Mumbai Bangalore game saw the rise of another debutant. The then Proteas international, David Wiese (who now plays for Namibia) made his IPL debut. One of the best all-round performances in the IPL, if not the best. He picked up 4 wickets, including Parthiv Patel, Kieron Pollard, Ambati Rayudu and Rohit Sharma. Last three he took bowling in the penultimate over.

A target of 210 was set by MI, RCB were going well but were also losing wickets. Wiese came to bat when RCB was in disarray. Soon after, RCB lost AB de Villiers 41(11). The game was done and dusted, but David kept on hitting boundaries and took the game close.

He ended up scoring 47 off 25 balls and remained not out. Unfortunately, Wiese’s all round heroics went in vain. But he had a dream debut in the cash-rich league.

6. Andrew Tye 5/17 vs RPS, 2017

Andrew Tye. (Photo Source: Twitter)

In the 13th match of the season, two struggling teams faced each other to change their luck. Gujarat Lions won the toss and opted to bowl first. Australian pacer Andrew Tye was making his IPL debut. He came to bowl the last over of the powerplay and got Rahul Tripathy caught by Aaron Finch. Then got rid of Ben Stokes via a slower one to halt Pune’s batting a bit.

When he came for the 20th over, he started off on a great note. He got wickets on the first three balls he bowled and produced a hat-trick. In this IPL game, he not only got a hat trick but also a five-wicket haul. What else he could have asked for? His bowling fetched him the well-deserved Player of the Match award.

Next season, he was the highest wicket-taker and claimed the purple cap. Though he was a late bloomer in international cricket, he didn’t waste his first chance in the IPL. Till now, he has played 30 matches and taken 42 wickets to his name.

7. Alzarri Joseph 6/12 vs SRH, 2019

<p>Alzarri Joseph. (Photo: IANS)</p>

If someone asked you what ‘ran through the batting order’ means in the cricket dictionary, you can easily point to this performance. Alzarri came into the side in that match replacing Lasith Malinga. He really had big shoes to fill in. Mumbai had to defend 136 runs to get a win against formidable SRH.

And guess what, with the very first ball he bowled he produced a wicket and that too of an IPL giant David Warner. From there on he kept on hunting wickets one after another. One wicket each in his first two overs and two wickets each in his next two overs set the deal. He conceded only one boundary in his 24-ball spell.

Conceding merely 12 runs in that T20 game he picked up 6 wickets. How humongous this feat was, he got his national team call-up for T20Is after his IPL stint. Since then he is growing by leaps and bounds. This is still the best debut bowling figures registered in IPL history.

 
8. Ayush Badoni 54 vs GT, 2022

Ayush Badoni. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)

IPL’s mantra has always been ‘Yatra Pratibha Avsara Prapnotihi’ which means ‘Where Talent meets Opportunity’. Perfect platform for youngsters, in general, to show their skills on the world stage and the Delhi-born Ayush Badoni is one of them.

In 2022, while playing his very first IPL season for Lucknow Super Giants, he arrived on the scene in style with 54 off 41 balls. Backed by Gautam Gambhir himself, Badoni came to bat at a tricky situation but showed his brilliant presence of mind. His 87-run partnership with Deepak Hooda helped the team to reach a respectable total of 158. He had a decent outing last season. And in the ongoing season, he has started off on a good note as well.

He would be eager to make his mark. A lot of matches are still to come this season. He will get a good amount of opportunities to perform this year as well and consistent performance may lead him to India A’s door.

 
9. Kyle Mayers 73 vs DC, 2023

Kyle Mayers. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)

LSG’s another player joins the list who was pretty impressive on his IPL debut. He is Kyle Mayers. Mayers was not the first-choice batter for LSG in the first place but he got an opportunity and he cashed in. Against a formidable Delhi Capitals in his very first match at home Ekana Stadium, he performed brilliantly.   

He started off quietly, settling in scoring 17 off 17. Post powerplay, he just changed his gear and went all after the bowlers. He spared no one. Starting from Mukesh to Axar to Kuldeep Yadav. He smoked seven sixes that day compared to his two fours.

He’s been pretty impactful in the ongoing edition for the Lucknow franchise. They would like to persist with him for some more matches as he offers bowling as well which the fans would like to see in the future. Though he hasn’t got a single wicket in T20Is yet. But who knows things can change with the times to come.

10. Vyshak Vijaykumar 3/20 vs DC, 2023

Vijaykumar Vyshak. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)

Dream debut comes at a place that is known for its unforgiving nature to bowlers. And it was certainly a dream debut for Karnataka’s Vijaykumar. Impressive domestic performances couldn’t help him bag an IPL contract. But Rajat Patidar’s omission and impressing Faf in the practice games for RCB earned him a contract. 

He debuted in the day match against Delhi Capitals on April 15. RCB were defending a score of 174. When he came to bowl the 6th over, DC were already struggling, but Warner was still there. He trapped Warner off a slower ball and Kohli did the rest and Vyshak had an IPL wicket to his name. 

He didn’t stop there, he picked another DC star performer Axar Patel and then Lalit Yadav. He conceded just two boundaries in his entire spell. He changed his pace pretty well, deceiving the batters. If he maintains his line and length then might end up being in contention for the IPL 2023 Purple Cap.