Who was the First Player to Take a Wicket on 0th Ball in Men’s International Cricket?

Cricket’s history has always been replete with bizarre happenings – there have been numerous records and oddities in the game, which leave most fans stunned. Most rare among them all, though, is a wicket before a bowler has even thrown one legal delivery. In the history of men’s international cricket, you may have had this question in mind: Who was the First Player to Take a Wicket on 0th Ball in Men’s International Cricket?

Yes, India’s little master via bat rather than ball achieved this at a Twenty20 International (T20I) against England in 2011. So, how did this happen, why is it so rare and how do the principles of cricket make it possible?

The Moment That Made History

The memorable incident occurred on August 31, 2011 in a T20I between India and England at Manchester. Virat Kohli, an upcoming cricketer who was yet to cement his place in the world of international cricket, was given the ball for the first time ever in T20Is.

His opening delivery was a wide – the illegal variety. But what came next was something nobody had witnessed. Kevin Pietersen of England tried to advance down the pitch for an aggressive stroke but didn’t connect.

Quick as a flash, MS Dhoni, standing up to the stumps, swooped in and whipped off the bails. And in the end, Pietersen was stumped attempting to regain his ground. Even though the ball was wide, the stumping was completely legitimate under cricket’s laws. That is how Virat Kohli took a wicket before bowling his first legitimate delivery in international cricket – the only man to get a wicket off the 0th ball of his career.

What does “Wicket on 0th Ball” Mean?

The 0th ball wicket seems complicated at first. If we put it in easy words, the wicket has fallen without a legal delivery bowled by the bowler in that particular match or format.

Illegally bowled deliveries (no-balls and wides) In cricket, a wide or no-ball is an illegal delivery. They don’t count in the bowler’s official over, but the action proceeds. Some dismissals – stumpings and run-outs, for instance – are still legitimate on such deliveries.

So when Kohli delivered a wide, and Pietersen was stumped, it became a wicket that had come before any legal delivery – in other words, a wicket off the zero-th ball.

That makes the record of Kohli not only rare but almost unachievable in regular circumstances.

Step-by-Step Breakdown of the Incident

1. Virat Kohli had a bowl in the 2011 T20I against England.
2. His first effort was a wide delivery, which did not count as a legitimate ball.
3. Crisis Kevin Pietersen left his crease in an attempt to attack.
4. MS Dhoni was quick enough to reach the ball and effected a smart stumping.
5. The umpire’s arms flashed for a wide but it was only to confirm that the batsman was out.
6. Result: Virat Kohli – 1 wicket, 0 legal deliveries delivered.

It was a moment of comic denial and real incredulity. Commentators AND fans alike had a chuckle and recognized that the uni-matchup was now a footnoted memory

Why is This Record So Special?

• In Men’s International Cricket: 1st and Only:
  Before Kohli’s innings, no bowler had claimed a wicket between delivering the ball and the end of an over, in any format of men’s international cricket.
• Came from a Part-Time Bowler:
  Kohli is no bowling genius, make no mistake. Which is what makes this such a surprising standout.
• MS Dhoni’s Lightning Reflexes:
  This record would never have been unless with Dhoni’s superior anticipation and precise keeping had this ever been possible. His swift stumping just proved why he’s one of the best wicketkeepers in the history of cricket.
• A Rare Law Application:
  It showed how the rules of cricket can generate interesting situations. Wide the delivery might have been, but the stumping stood, a reminder that cricket laws are often sympathetic in such rare moments.

The Law Behind the Dissimal

Per Law 26 if the wicketkeeper puts down the wicket whilst the batsman is out of his ground and NOT attempting a run, only to have entered the crease before the bails are off then a stumping will be recorded. The ball is “live” until even after it has been called wide and, indeed dismissals like stumpings or run-outs are still possible.

So the umpire signals “wide ball” first, then looks for the stumping. As Pietersen’s foot or bat wasn’t behind the crease, Dhoni’s appeal was upheld. The wicket was credited to Kohli, even though no legal delivery had been bowled.

Fan Reaction and Trivia Value

The incident was soon a hot topic in the cricket world. Fans poured over social media and forums in debate: “Well it shouldn’t really count as a wicket?” or “Does it count in an official bowling stat?”

It does, statistically – Kohli’s bowling analysis for the match would be one wicket (and his over account begins 0.0 to denote that there had been no legal balls bowled before the fall of wicket).

Commentators called it “the best way to begin a bowling career” – dramatic, headline-screaming and reeking of cricketing curiosity. Decades later, the tale still pops up in quizzes, trivia books and “Did You Know”? Segments.

Has It Ever Happened Again?

For now, Virat Kohli is single handedly preserving the concept of 0th-ball wickets in men’s international cricket.

Batsmen have been run out going for a single from a wide, and there may even have been one or two in the case of no-ball, but none was on his very first ball as was Barnes’ Batsmen have, mind you, often enough got run out before facing a legitimate delivery off either Wides (not perhaps as easy at it sounds) or No-balls. That record of Kohli’s is a one-off throughout the entirety of international cricket.

A Fun Reminder of Cricket’s Unpredictability

It’s moments like these that remind diehard followers that there is beauty in cricket beyond centuries and five-wicket hauls, just as its quirkiness can sometimes catch you unawares. The “0th ball wicket” is one such gem – all skill, trick and timing.

Virat Kohli’s rare feat, another tale of how just one delivery, legal or not, can make cricket history happen. It’s a tale that still captivates fans, showing that however much you think you know the game, there will always be room for something special.

FAQs

• Who Is the Godfather of Cricket?
• Most Expensive Spell in IPL
• Biggest Cricket Franchise in The World
• Most Unsuccessful Team in IPL History
• Richest Cricketer in the World
• Most Handsome Cricketer in the World