Brendon McCullum hundred and Chris Gayle 175 - Robin Uthappa and Anil Kumble recall IPL Unforgettable Moments

Bengaluru, February 15: Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa has said legendary Brendon McCullum's hundred in the first-ever match of the cash-rich league set the tone for the Indian Premier League (IPL).

McCullum, who represented Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2008 season, smashed 158 off 73 balls against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M Chinaswamy Stadium.

Over the past 15 years, the IPL has attracted the world's finest cricketing talent, leading to plenty of spectacular performances that have left fans across the globe bedazzled and craving for more.

Uthappa, who was part of the Mumbai Indians squad that season, recalled the most memorable occasions in the tournament's history along with legendary Anil Kumble during the new episode of Legends Lounge called IPL Unforgettable Moments on JioCinema.

"McCullum's hundred in the first match, the way he set the tone of the IPL. I think it was destiny. It was fantastic and definitely a moment that stands out," recalled Uthappa.

Chris Gayle 175 vs Pune Warriors

On the other hand, Kumble recognized Chris Gayle's 175 as one of his favorite moments. In that match, Uthappa had the best seat in the stadium, as he was the wicketkeeper when 'Gayle Storm' decimated the Pune Warriors.

Naturally, Uthappa couldn't leave it out of his list, "Even though I was behind the wickets, and it came against my team, it's definitely a standout performance that will be spoken about for posterity. People will always talk about this performance," he said.

Kumble then spoke of the incredible season that Virat Kohli enjoyed for RCB in 2016. The former India skipper hit a whopping 973 runs including four centuries.

Uthappa recalled 2010 season when CSK skipper MS Dhoni showed raw emotions after beating Kings XI Punjab with a 29-ball 54.

"MS Dhoni showing emotion in a game at Dharamsala. My close friend Irrfan (Pathan) was bowling, and Dhoni hit a six and slapped his own helmet. Very few times in cricket do we see MS show emotions. That one clip might never leave people's minds," he said.

Both Kumble and Uthappa acknowledged some tremendous bowling performances, too. The former Indian captain went with Lasith Malinga's last-ball wicket that helped MI clinch the 2019 IPL title.

"From a bowling perspective, I remember Malinga getting that one-run win against Chennai, getting Shardul Thakur out via LBW."

Uthappa chose Praveen Kumar's hat-trick for RCB against the Rajasthan Royals in 2010.

The 2014 Orange Cap winner rounded off his list out by talking about the first-ever IPL double super-over between Mumbai and Punjab in 2020, which was eventually won by Punjab.

"That match will definitely stand out in IPL history. The odds of having a second super over are incredibly small in cricket, but the IPL has seen even that."

Source: Media Release