IPL Trivia: Who Took the First Hat-Trick in IPL History?

The Indian Premier League (IPL) have seen several jaw-dropping moments with both bat and ball. Multiple records have been created by the players in the most competitive league in the world and among the numerous incredible records that have been made over the years, hat-tricks are considered a rare and unforgettable feat for any bowler. But do you know who grabbed the first-ever hat-trick in IPL history?

 

Let's travel back to a balmy evening in Chennai on May 10, 2008, when the IPL was in its inaugural season and a specific game proved to be a milestone for the tournament in its record books.

 

The Match That Saw a Bowler Creating History

 

In the 31st match of the inaugural edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008, Chennai Super Kings were up against the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) and the match was played at the home ground of CSK, MA. Chidambaram Stadium.

 

Yuvraj Singh, the skipper of KXIP, won the toss and asked MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings to bat first and put the total on the board. Batting first, the home team posted a good total of 181/4 in their allotted 20 overs. The innings was powered by MS Dhoni’s unbeaten 60 and Badrinath’s solid 64, with crucial cameos from the top order.

 

Punjab responded in style, with Shaun Marsh scoring 58 off 38 balls and Irfan Pathan smashing 40 off just 18, but the game shifted dramatically in the last over.

 

CSK had only one over to go and Punjab needed 27 more runs to win, when they brought in a bowler who had been bowling consistently throughout the game. He had already taken important wickets, and what followed was enough to drive the Chepauk crowd crazy.

 

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Here's what happened in that 20th over:

 

• 19.3 - He came in with a clever slower ball that invited Irfan Pathan to play the big shot. The outcome? Raina took the catch off deep square leg.
• 19.4 - He then delivered a full ball outside off. Piyush Chawla played the big shot but skied it to Kapugedera at long-off.
• 19.5 - With the crowd standing up, he steamed in and bowled short outside off. Vikram Singh tried a wild shot but could only produce a top-edge. Dhoni collected the catch behind the stumps in calm fashion.

 

That was all. Three wickets in three balls. The first-ever hat-trick in IPL history was done.

 

And the Bowler Was...

 

OTD in 2008, L Balaji took the first-ever hattrick in the IPL. 🦁🔥#WhistlePodu | #IPL2022 pic.twitter.com/bIH6Y8dweJ

— CSK Fans Army™ (@CSKFansArmy) May 10, 2022

 

The local boy Lakshmipathy Balaji concluded the match with sparkling figures of 5/24, and deservedly so, was adjudged as the Player of the Match. His magical spell did not only conclude the match in favor of CSK by restricting KXIP at 163/9, but also etched his name in IPL's history book as well.

 

Balaji’s hat-trick remains one of the most iconic moments from the inaugural season. It was not just a milestone; it was a celebration of the talent of the local lad who delivered when it mattered the most, showing his impact in the greatest T20 league.

 

So, the next time someone asks about the first-ever hat-trick in the Indian Premier League (IPL), you’ll know it was Lakshmipathy Balaji - the man who brought the crowd at the to its feet and made history with the ball.