IPL 2022: Umesh Yadav of KKR joins Brett Lee, Chaminda Vaas to achieve unique feat with wicket of CSK’s Ruturaj Gaikwad | Cricket

The Kolkata Knight Riders could not have hoped for a better start to the IPL 2022. After winning the toss and opting to field, captain Shreyas Iyer opened the bowling with Umesh Yadav, and the decision worked wonders for the two-time champions as the India pacer picked up the key wicket of Ruturaj Gaikwad for a duck. Gaikwad was the Orange Cap winner last season, and getting his wicket was a huge shot in the arm for KKR. (Also Read: IPL 2022, CSK vs KKR Live Score and Updates)

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It wasn’t the ideal start for Umesh, who overstepped on the first ball of the season, and bowled a wide to go with it. However, the veteran pacer picked himself up and struck off the third delivery as Gaikwad slashed and was out caught at first slip by Nitish Rana. With this, Umesh’s love affair with his first over in the IPL continued. This was his seventh wicket the first over of an IPL innings, first since 2018. Overall, bowling his first over, Umesh has grabbed seven wickets at an average of 19.6 with a strike-rate of 24.

Another impressive feat which Umesh achieved was that of becoming only the fourth bowler to pick up a wicket in the first over of an IPL season. Before him, former Australia speedster Brett Lee, Sri Lanka legend Chaminda Vaas and ex-Indian quick Iqbal Abdullah had done it. Vaas was the first to hold the distinction, when playing for the now-defunct Deccan Chargers, he dismissed former KKR batter Manoj Tiwary first ball.

Abdullah, playing for KKR did it the following year in 2011, dismissing Srikanth Aniruddha of CSK in the first over. However, the most memorable wicket was produced by Brett Lee. Playing for KKR, he knocked over Unmukt Chand, representing the Delhi Capitals (formerly Delhi Daredevils), off not just the first over, but of IPL 2013.