Follow UsThe 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is almost upon us, so it’s the perfect time of the year to go into an IPL rabbit hole. Over the years, we’ve seen plenty of bizarre, interesting, weird and fascinating tactical calls happen in the competition, including teams opting to open the batting with BOWLERS.
Yes, there have been many occasions when franchises have opened the batting with a bowler.
We look at five of the unlikeliest players who have opened the batting in the IPL:
Praveen Kumar was one of the best opening bowlers in the IPL, but did you know that he’s opened the batting in the competition not once but TWICE?
Indeed, Praveen Kumar opened the batting twice for RCB - once in the 2008 season and once in the 2009 season. In 2008, he opened the batting alongside Wasim Jaffer against Delhi Daredevils and got dismissed by Glenn McGrath for 6(5).
In 2009, he opened alongside Robin Uthappa against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and scored a duck, bowled by Manpreet Gony.
Jofra Archer opened the batting once in his T20 career, and that incidentally happened to come in the IPL. Indeed, in a clash against RCB back in IPL 2018, Archer opened the batting alongside Rahul Tripathi. Why? Nobody knows.
Either way, the move bombed as Archer ended up scoring a 4-ball duck.
Of course, Ravichandran Ashwin features in this list. He is the master of innovation, after all, isn’t he?
Ashwin has opened the batting twice in the IPL. The first instance, believe it or not, came all the way back in IPL 2013 for CSK against KKR, where he opened alongside Michael Hussey. There, Ashwin scored 11 off 13 balls and was dismissed by Sunil Narine.
More recently, in IPL 2023 for RR, Ashwin opened the batting alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal. And that didn’t go well either, as he registered a four-ball duck.
Former New Zealand all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme was known for his explosive hitting down the order, but did you know he has opened the batting in the IPL?
Indeed, back in IPL 2017, de Grandhomme opened the batting for KKR alongside Gautam Gambhir against Delhi Daredevils. Again, the move bombed, as he could only register 1 off 2 balls.
The current Aussie World Cup-winning head coach, Andrew McDonald, batted nine times in the IPL, one of which was as an opener.
Against Delhi Daredevils back in IPL 2012, McDonald opened the batting alongside Cheteshwar Pujara. And he actually did exceptionally well, scoring a quickfire 30 off 19 balls.
Curiously enough, McDonald never opened the batting in the IPL after this knock. In fact, he only batted three more times.