IPL History: Top 3 knocks by Brendon McCullum

The dangerous Kiwi batsmen, Brendon McCullum was signed by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the very first IPL season in 2008. Later he left KKR and played for many other IPL teams namely Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Lions and for Royal Challengers Bangalore last year.

He showed everyone with his performances in IPL why he is recognized as a destructive player, especially in T20 format. He had scored 2,881 runs in IPL at a blistering strike rate of 131 and had a mind-boggling number of 130 sixes in his name.

Though he bid goodbye to international cricket, he has remained consistent in all T-20 leagues of the world and still he is referred to as one of the most dangerous openers in cricket.

Due to his below average performance in IPL last year, no franchise showed interest in this star player in the IPL Auction 2019. Still, he has a chance to play if he replaces any overseas player in the upcoming IPL season.

In this article, we will list out the top 3 knocks which the Kiwi batsmen has played in his entire IPL career.

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#1 158* vs Royal Challengers Bangalore (2008)

Brendon McCullum played this innings in the 1st match of the IPL

Certainly, this was one of the most memorable knocks ever witnessed in IPL history. The innings became even more special as it was the opening match of the cash-rich league. The crowd enjoyed the fierce knock as Brendon McCullum stole the show with his destructive batting.

Brendon McCullum played unbelievable shots, dominated every bowler of the host team RCB. With 10 fours and 13 towering sixes, he helped KKR beat RCB by 140 runs.

Undoubtedly, it was one of the most explosive innings played by a player in IPL history and he also stands at the 2nd position in the list of the highest individual score in IPL, after Gayle’s 175*.

#2 100* vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (2015)

Chennai Super Kings had a very destructive opening pair featuring Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith in IPL 2015

Brendon McCullum joined Chennai Super Kings in 2014 and, in a league match against Sunrisers in 2015, he played a gutsy knock of 100 and helped CSK reach 209 runs. The innings made everyone nostalgic as it reminisced his 158 runs knock, which he played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Nicknamed as Bazz, he smashed 7 fours and nine sixes that night. Brendon McCullum was looking in incredible form as he was smashing every ball coming into his side with many classic and unorthodox shots.

With his innings, he led CSK to a victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad and earned the two valuable points for his team. He was honoured with the man of the match award in that match against SRH.

#3 71* vs Mumbai Indians (2014)

Brendon McCullum shattered the Mumbai Indians bowling attack with his flamboyant attack

The 3rd best knock of the Brendon McCullum’s IPL career came in 2014. Though he has played many memorable innings like 84* vs RCB in 2009, 81 vs RR in 2011, this knock against Mumbai Indians was comparatively more mature.

Asking Mumbai Indians to bat first, Chennai Super Kings restricted them to 141. With the pitch being difficult to bat on, Brendon McCullum smartly took the team home with his blistering knock.

With 8 fours and 2 sixes, he was able to score 71 runs in 53 balls. Though he usually plays a quick knock, this time he played a sensible innings and earned the victory for his team against the defending champions of that time.