IPL kicked off in grand style at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, living up to the pre-match expectations and hype.

The first match between Kolkata Knightriders and Bangalore Royal Challengers turned out to be a one-sided affair. And what an innings from Brendon McCullum! Carnage is too mild a word to describe his knock.

Some of the shots walking outside the off stump and paddling the ball over the short fine leg for six will be etched in our minds for a long timer. McCullum single-handedly destroyed the Challengers with the bowlers having no clue how to handle the onslaught.

'McCullum single-handedly destroyed the Challengers'


The big-hitting New Zealander surpassed the highest individual score ever scored in a Twenty20 game. His 158 runs off a mere 73 balls included 10 fours and 13 sixes and is not the kind of innings that can be seen too often in this shorter format of the game.

The match was well over after the McCullum storm as the Challengers wilted under the pressure and were bowled out for 82 in pursuit of 223.

The carnival atmosphere was further bolstered by the presence of film stars like Shah Rukh Khan and other top BCCI officials. And the crowd were given their money’s worth after the McCullum massacre.

There was only one way the match was heading after the blistering start given by McCullum and Sourav Ganguly. Even after the departure of Ganguly, McCullum ensured that the momentum of the innings was not lost.

Even established bowlers like Jacques Kallis and Zaheer Khan weren’t able to deter the Kiwi's onslaught. And the pressure of chasing such a mammoth score was too much for the Challengers. Certainly, Rahul Dravid will have expected a much better performance from his team than being bowled out for 82.

This game has set the stage for the series. If we can see scores of 200-plus in the first match, then we are certainly in for a treat in future games.

So fasten your seat belts and enjoy the ride that this tournament is going to take us through.