“Lot of people would ask for entry” - Former Delhi Daredevils star opens up on viral IPL parties

Former Delhi Daredevils opener Unmukt Chand revealed the craze among people for IPL parties back in the day. He opened up on the viral parties, how the experience was, and how people asked for entry.

Unmukt made his IPL debut with the Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in the 2011 season. While the signature parties would take place after matches, he stated that they were not as wild as those that had happened before he started playing in the league.

"When I started playing IPL in 2011, there was a lot in those first three to four years. There were those signature parties. But it was still not as wild as what I heard about the parties that happened before I came. It was still controlled. It was a very different side of things also that gave a lot of exposure," he said on 'The Raunac Podcast'. (33:02)

Unmukt added that while people would generally ask for match tickets, there was a different craze for these parties. He stated that people would plead to him for entry.

"There was a craze about it and lot of people would ask for entry for those parties. People ask for match tickets but it was like please get us entry to the parties in the evening, that sort of thing."

He played just two games in his debut IPL season. It did not go well for him personally, as he did not make any impact.

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Unmukt Chand opens up on his infamous Brett Lee dismissal in IPL 2013

A major highlight of Unmukt Chand's IPL career, an unfortunate incident in this case, was his infamous dismissal against Brett Lee in the 2013 season. It was the opening match of that edition between Delhi and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

On the very first ball of the match, Brett Lee rattled Unmukt's stumps and bowled him for a golden duck. Unmukt did not have a great season, and that dismissal was later looked upon as the beginning of his downfall.

While it did not put him under pressure right away, Unmukt revealed that the dismissal did hit him later on.

"People's memories are fresh that he won the World Cup, but the also remember that he got bowled to Brett Lee. They tell me that. It has not gone out of their imagination. I was looking forward to that IPL because I had a good World Cup. You don't want that. It did not put me under pressure but maybe in some unconscious ways it might have later on. I had a bad start and then it hits you. But this is the story of every cricketer. It is all about timing," he said. (20:04) (via the aforementioned source)

He had a disappointing 2013 season and scored 158 runs from nine matches at an average of 17.55. The impact was such that the Daredevils released him after the season ended. He was signed by the Rajasthan Royals for the 2014 IPL but played just one game.

"I got bowled to Malinga when I played my first season against Mumbai Indians. People kept telling me for one year that oh Malinga is bowling. So it works in your mind and you think that people are watching you and you have to be careful so that freedom in your mind sort of goes away. People keep talking to me about that Brett Lee ball too but I take it lightly now. That was a good ball and you are unfortunate as a batter if your first ball is such," he added.

The right-hander moved to the Mumbai Indians in 2015. It turned out to be another poor season for him. The next year, he played just one game for them, which also proved to be his last IPL game. He never appeared in the league after the 2016 season.

Overall, he featured in 21 games and scored 300 runs at an average of 15, with a single half-century to his name.