The Indian Premier League (IPL) rolled out in 2008, and it was a whole new thing for world cricket and cricket fanatics. From its inaugural season, the tournament rapidly gained popularity, boasting renowned players from around the globe.
IPL is now one of the greatest leagues in the world, evolving every year and providing players with a solid platform to showcase their prowess. A total of 100 centuries have been scored in the IPL, but only two players have achieved the feat of scoring a century on their IPL debut. In this article, we will explore these two exceptional players.
Brendon McCullum 
The T-20 format of cricket allows batters to free their arms from the beginning, and when we hear the name Brendon McCullum, the only thing that comes to mind is fearless batting. The former New Zealand batter played with an attacking approach in all three formats.
The Kiwi batter is the first player to score a century on his IPL debut. In the inaugural match of the first IPL season, the right-handed batter set the stage on fire. Playing aggressively, the wicket-keeper batter amassed an unbeaten 158 runs off just 73 balls, including 10 fours and 13 sixes, helping KKR post a mammoth 222/3 against Royal Challengers Bangalore. The latter team failed to match McCullum’s individual score, losing the match by a huge margin of 140 runs.
McCullum’s scintillating knock left the fans awestruck, earning him the Player of the Match award for his breathtaking performance. McCullum represented five different franchises in the IPL and later served as the coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders from 2019 to 2022. He then stepped down from his coaching role to join England as the head coach for Test cricket.
Michael Hussey
The former Australian player, Michael Hussey, became the second player to score a century on his IPL debut, achieving this feat just a day after Brendon McCullum’s remarkable performance in the inaugural season of the IPL.
In the second match of the inaugural IPL season, the left-handed batter went honkers and bonkers against Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, pummeling bowlers all around the park and notching up his century in the process. The Aussie batter remained unbeaten on 116 runs off 54 balls, smashing 8 fours and 9 sixes. His blistering knock helped his side, Chennai Super Kings, post a hefty 240/5 in 20 overs, with Kings XI Punjab managing 207/4 in response, losing by 32 runs.
The Chennai-based franchise heavily relied on the Aussie southpaw, and standing up to expectations, the veteran batter played multiple crucial innings for CSK, winning the orange cap in IPL 2013 for smashing 733 runs in 17 matches. Hussey, also known as Mr. Cricket, currently serves as a batting coach for CSK.
