5 IPL 2023 coaches who played the first match of the league in 2008

Even as IPL 2023 is set to mark the league's sixteenth edition, everybody remembers the first-ever match of the tournament played on April 18, 2008.

After a glitzy opening ceremony, Brendon McCullum gave a poetic glimpse into what was to come with a stunning unbeaten 158 off 73 deliveries as the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) humbled the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The rest, as they say, is history. The IPL remains the most glamorous showpiece event in the sport today and it keeps growing bigger and better in terms of both quality and revenue.

A number of players who played that opening game between RCB and KKR are still involved with the tournament in a coaching capacity.

Let's look at five such cricketers who took the field for the league opener in 2008, but will now don the coach's hat for IPL 2023.

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#1 Ricky Ponting

The most high-profile name on this list, former Australian captain Ricky Ponting was part of KKR in the first IPL season. Batting at No. 3, he mustered only a run-a-ball 20 on debut before being dismissed by Jacques Kallis.

Ponting has been the head coach of the Delhi Capitals (DC) since 2018 and is set for his sixth straight season at the helm come IPL 2023. He has a tough job on his hands, with captain Rishabh Pant set to miss the season after the horrific car accident he suffered last month.

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#2 Mark Boucher

South African wicketkeeping legend Mark Boucher played for RCB in the first three IPL seasons before incidentally moving to KKR the following year. He didn't effect a stumping or a catch in the league's first game and scored a mere seven runs off nine deliveries.

Having stepped down as the head coach of the South African men's team, Boucher was appointed in the same capacity for the Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of IPL 2023. It will be interesting to see if MI put a disappointing IPL 2022 campaign behind them under Boucher's guidance.

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#3 Wasim Jaffer

Former Indian Test opener Wasim Jaffer opened the innings for RCB with Rahul Dravid in the first-ever IPL match. He endured a painful stay in the middle and perished for a 16-ball six.

Jaffer has been involved with the Punjab Kings (PBKS) before as their batting coach and has been reinstated in the same capacity for IPL 2023. He will work under Trevor Bayliss, who has taken over from Anil Kumble as the franchise's new head coach.

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#4 Ajit Agarkar

A popular presence in the commentary box these days, former Indian pacer Ajit Agarkar enjoyed a fine start to his IPL career. Wearing KKR colors, he bagged three wickets across his four overs in the opening fixture of the league against RCB.

Agarkar was appointed the assistant coach of the Delhi Capitals last year and will continue in the same capacity come IPL 2023.

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#5 Sunil Joshi

A stalwart of Indian domestic cricket, Sunil Joshi was a regular workhorse with the ball for Karnataka. The left-arm spinner also represented the country in 15 Tests and 69 ODIs and is most remembered for his spell of 5/6 off 10 overs in an ODI against South Africa in 1999.

Joshi sent down three wicketless overs for 26 runs in the first-ever IPL match as he turned out for RCB. He was also part of India's senior selection committee that was recently shown the door and has now joined the Punjab Kings as their spin bowling coach for IPL 2023.

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