‘I was just 4’: KKR players share what they were during when KKR met RCB in IPL 2008 inaugural match

The Indian Premier League (IPL) comes full circle with its 18th edition in 2025. Two giants, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), are set to face off in the opening game this Saturday, marking their first clash in an IPL opener in 17 years. The last time these teams met in the tournament’s inaugural match was in 2008, when KKR took on RCB in Bengaluru. This year, the much-anticipated opening showdown will take place at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

The tournament kicks off at Kolkata’s iconic Eden Gardens, with defending champions KKR facing perennial underachievers RCB, though the threat of rain looms over the match.

In the IPL’s first-ever game on April 18, 2008, KKR and RCB met at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The match became an unforgettable spectacle as KKR’s Brendon McCullum delivered a blistering 158 not out, a knock that remains one of the most memorable in IPL history. RCB, in response, faltered and were bowled out for just 82 runs.

Recalling that historic game, KKR recently posted a video where the current squad shared their memories of the 2008 opener. Many players revealed interesting anecdotes.

KKR’s power-hitter from the West Indies, Rovman Powell, said, “I was just a child, a young kid in Jamaica, getting my first taste of cricket.” Fellow West Indian and KKR star Sunil Narine mentioned that he was “probably in school” at the time.

KKR’s flamboyant batter Venkatesh Iyer recalled, “I sat down to watch the game, but as soon as Dada (Sourav Ganguly) got out, I switched off the TV. I had my exams too.” Former South African skipper Quinton de Kock, now part of KKR, also said, “I was in school.”

Anrich Nortje, another KKR player from South Africa, shared, “I was in grade eight at high school.” Meanwhile, KKR wicketkeeper-batter Luvnith Sisodia humorously admitted, “I don’t think I can even remember—I was four years old.”

Interestingly, only one KKR player, England all-rounder Moeen Ali, was fully engaged in the cricket scene at the time. “I actually remember the game,” he said. “McCullum scored a hundred, right?”