The first IPL experience is always amazing for a team. May it be the 2008 edition where KKR kickstarted their campaign with a bang as Brendon McCullum hammered home the only century scored by a KKR player or may it be a fine run sparked by the Gujarat Titans in 2022 that has seen them taking down the Giants, the Capitals and the Kings.
For a franchise, it is important that they get off to a good start as it brings out a winning mindset, questioning the endless windings that their road would take in a marathon league slated to be played for two long months.
It is a very rare feat for a debutant team to bag three out of three wins in their first rodeo in the franchise extravaganza. Gujarat Titans’ win over the Punjab Kings in a sternum-churning thriller made them the third team to rack up this herculean feat.
Let us take a quick look at the three franchises that have achieved this incredible fact, making them a rare entity in the sporting fabric of India.
#1 Chennai Super Kings
Under the leadership of MS Dhoni, Chennai started their IPL campaign with a bang as their batters brew a run-fest to blow away the Kings XI Punjab in their season opener. Mr. Cricket managed to blast a 54-ball-116 that was perfectly supported by Matthew Hayden, Suresh Raina and Badrinath to pile up a momentous total for the Yellow Army.
James Hopes, Kumara Sangakkara and Yuvraj Singh stitched together a rollicking show of madness that would cut the tie in close contention only for Simon Katich and Irfan Pathan to bring down the striking rate that would result in Chennai’s opening victory.
Chennai was involved in another run-fest as their second match with Mumbai Indians saw them put together 208 on the cards. This time it was Haydos who led the charge with an incredible 81 while Suresh Raina and Dhoni came together in the latter half of the innings propelling them to 208. Despite a late lunge from Harbhajan Singh and Abhishek Nayar, Mumbai couldn’t cross the finishing line, imparting the second win to Chennai Super Kings.
CSK’s third contest was with the Kolkata Knight Riders, a team that had also won 2 matches on the bounce. However, the Chennai bowlers pulled off a magical display as they confined the Knights to a modest 147, as Jacob Oram blended perfectly with Manpreet Gony and Palani Amarnath to leave the Knights reeling.
Despite Parthiv Patel’s slow start, Chennai skipper, MS Dhoni and Australian icon, Haydos ravaged the Kolkata bowling line-up as they racked up the total with 18 balls to spare, once again posting the bloody-minded intent that drove them all the way to the finals.
#2 Gujarat Lions
The franchise somehow couldn’t sustain themselves despite their on-field heroics but they were simply mind-bending to witness on the field. They started their campaign with a roar, leaving a trail of carnage wherever they went.
Their first match was against the Kings XI Punjab and Australian opener, Aaron Finch was straight down to business as he played the MVP for the Lions in what seemed like a modest chase. Dwayne Bravo pulled off a phenomenal display with the ball in his hands as he scalped 4 wickets for the Lions that were perfectly complemented by Jadeja’s brace. Chasing 162, Aaron Finch, Suresh Raina and Dinesh Karthik laid waste to the Punjab bowling as they won the contest with 14 balls to spare.
Riding on their stellar bowling, the Lions bagged another clinical win as they took down the Rising Pune Supergiants comfortably. Despite Faf’s bedazzling brilliance, Tambe, Bravo and Jadeja pulled the strings of destruction as it left Pune a good 15-20 runs short.
Aaron Finch and Brendon McCullum played the perfect opening partnership that would dig Pune’s grave as the total seemed too less in front of a marauding Gujarat batting.
The third win for the Lions came against Mumbai Indians as an all-round display left Rohit and his army stranded in a precarious swamp. This time it was a collective show of dominion from the Gujarat bowlers as they shackled Mumbai for a mere 143. Dhawal Kulkarni led the charge with the ball in his hands, claiming figures of 2 for 19 from his 4 overs.
Despite wickets falling at the other end, it was Aaron Finch again who charged the Gujarat battery and they were off to the third win of the tournament, even though this one came on the last ball of innings, giving them the first taste of IPL’s signature thrill.
#3 Gujarat Titans
This has so far been a journey to remember for the Titans. So far, they have simply been unstoppable and last night’s win against the Punjab Kings that saw Tewatia smashing two sixes off the last two balls will always be cherished by them.
The Titans started their campaign with a win against the Lucknow Super Giants as their bowlers bossed around the contest, leaving very little room for the Giants to walk about. Mohammed Shami put up his signature display, leaving the Giants crippled.
The second contest of the season saw Lockie Ferguson coming out in scintillating colours as his four-fer helped the Giants to script a comfortable win with the Capitals coming apart at the seams as their bowlers racked up absolutely crazy numbers.
Last night, it was Shubman Gill who belted out an absolute banger of a knock that saw him score 96 while it was Rahul Tewatia who smashed two sixes from two balls, winning the thriller of the year for the Gujarat Titans.
