Ten years ago on this day, April 18, 2008, the Indian Premier League was born. The city-based franchise T20 league was launched with a glitzy opening ceremony at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, with the hosts Royal Challengers Bangalore taking on Kolkata Knight Riders. For cricket fans in India, the Olympic-style opening was unlike anything they had seen before. The IPL, over the last ten years, has had a profound impact on world cricket and also shaped the dynamics of international cricket, for better or for worse.
All roads led to the Chinnaswamy Stadium in central Bangalore, that was bathed in the glow of fireworks.
The IPL was built up as the coming together of cricket and entertainment, with some Bollywood stars purchasing IPL teams. To kick things off was a concert by the film music composing trio of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. The laser show was the other big attraction and a singer levitated (suspended with wires) atop the podium to croon the opening number.
There were huge cables connecting the stadium roof to the playing area, with acrobats gliding across and stilt walkers striding around in colourful costumes. Two fogging machines spewed out large quantities of artificial mist to create an ambience of an open air disco.
Bangalore:18/04/2008. Cheer leaders peforming during inaugural function of the DLF Indian Premier League ( IPL ) Twenty20 match at M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore on Friday April 2008 Photo. Bhagya Prakash K
To lend an American touch to the league, RCB signed up cheerleaders from NFL side Washington Redskins. Cheerleaders in cricket were still a novelty at this stage. The glam quotient was always going to be part of the package.
Shah Rukh Khan wasn't going to miss this spectacular night. As the owner of Kolkata Knight Riders, he was the biggest attraction in the stands, as was Shilpa Shetty, co-owner of the Rajasthan Royals, the team that went on to win the tournament.
Fans let their hair down too, like this bunch supporting RCB, wearing the traditional Mysore peta.
Bangalore/18/04/2008. IPL team Captians at the inaugural function of DLP Indian Premier League ( IPL ) Twenty20 cricket match at M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore on Friday. Photo:Sampath Kumar_ G_P_Bangalore. 18,April 2008.
As we got closer to the real business of cricket, the captains of the eight franchises walked out to sign the Spirit of Cricket pledge.
B-149, BGE -180413 - APRIL 18, 2008 - Bangalore: Kolkata Knight Riders' Brendon McCullam hits a six against Bangalore Royal Challengers during the inaugural IPL T20 Championship match at Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore on Friday. PTI Photo by Shailendra Bhojak
If fans thought the fireworks had ended for the night, well it was just the beginning. Brendon "Baz" McCullum of KKR played out a quiet first over from Praveen Kumar. He then took Zaheer Khan to the cleaners the following over and he never seemed to stop.
McCullum went on to play one of the most destructive innings in T20 cricket. He finished unbeaten on 158 off 73 balls with ten fours and 13 sixes. It was a world record for the highest individual score in a T20 match till Chris Gayle broke it, five years later, at the same venue.
Battered and bruised, the hosts RCB never recovered and crashed to 82 all out, chasing an improbable 223. The game may have been terribly one-sided but that's not what the night was most remembered for.
