"He has got a MS Dhoni sort of a feel" - KKR head coach Brendon McCullum praises wicket-keeper Sheldon Jackson

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Brendon McCullum recently likened Sheldon Jackson's calm demeanor to that of legendary MS Dhoni.

After warming the bench in the last couple of seasons, the 35-year-old cricketer finally got his due in the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). In the IPL 2022 opener, Jackson made the world take notice of him after he pulled off a lightning fast stumping to dismiss MS Dhoni.

The Saurashtra-born cricketer has looked confident behind the stumps in the two games he has played so far. A wicket-keeper in his playing days, Brendon McCullum was also impressed by Jackson's glovework.

Addressing a virtual press meet, the former Kiwi captain said:

"The wicketkeeping skills have been superb. He has got an MS Dhoni sort of a feel about keeping; really fast hands, and an understanding of spin. He knows what the bowlers are doing. He is desperate to do well."

In the game against RCB, Sheldon took three catches, including a diving one-hander, and he stumped Shahbaz Ahmed off Varun Chakravarthy at a crucial juncture.

Despite his superb efforts, he had to make way for Shivam Mavi in the third game against Punjab Kings to maintain the balance of the side.

Check out this IPL purple cap winners from 2008 to 2022 here.

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"He is not too far behind Andre Russell when striking the ball" - Brendon McCullum on Sheldon Jackson

While Sheldon Jackson grabbed attention with his wicket-keeping skills, he has so far failed to make a mark as a batter. He was not out on three against Chennai Super Kings. And against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, the right-hander came in at No. 7 and fell for a golden duck.

However, Brendon McCullum and the KKR camp rate him very highly as a batsman. The 40-year-old former Black Caps cricketer said:

"Sheldon continues to get better and better. He is 35, but you wouldn’t know. His growth in the last two years has been significant. He has a good ball-striking ability. And very few players hit the ball as far as he does, he is not too far, if not the same, behind Andre Russell when he is striking the ball. I am sure with more opportunities, we will see a performance from Sheldon."

A typical top-order batter, Sheldon Jackson batted at No.6 against CSK while he came out to bat at No.7 against RCB, which is completely new territory for him.

However, he will hope to get accustomed and make ameds for the lost chances in the upcoming matches. He has 1514 T20 runs under his belt at a strike of just over 120, including a century.