IPL 2021: “My life changed that night” - Brendon McCullum reflects on first IPL game and journey at KKR

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) coach Brendon McCullum has described his scintillating century in the first-ever IPL match back in 2008 as a life-changing moment.

McCullum smashed an unbeaten 158 off only 73 balls, turning out for KKR against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the first match of IPL 2008, the inaugural edition of the T20 league. The amazing knock featured ten fours and 13 sixes.

On Tuesday, KKR shared clips from a film on the franchise’s current coach, where Brendan McCullum spoke about his IPL journey:

“It’s changed my life, the opportunities that I have been given at KKR. And I think back to the first-ever IPL game, my life changed that night,” the KKR coach admitted.

In the video, McCullum also shared his interesting thoughts on leadership.

“This is something I believe in, that leaders should have a wishbone; they should have a backbone; they should have a funny bone,” he said.

The former Kiwi player was the captain when New Zealand made it to the World Cup final for the first time in 2015.

Advising KKR’s current bunch of players, McCullum said:

“You need to maintain respect for the game and respect for the opposition, and ensure that we never turn it off.”

Apart from KKR, McCullum also represented Chennai Super Kings, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Lions in the IPL. He ended his IPL playing career with 2880 runs in 109 matches at a strike rate of 131.74, scoring two hundreds and 13 fifties.

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He has changed the face of the game for New Zealand: Dinesh Karthik on Brendon McCullum

In the video, KKR’s wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik described McCullum as the best man to guide the franchise and the players in the right direction.

“There couldn’t have been a better choice than Brendon McCullum going around in the world right now. He is a leader who has changed the face of the game for New Zealand,” Karthik said.

McCullum was critical of KKR’s performances in the first half of IPL 2021. The franchise were seventh in the points table with only two wins from seven matches when the tournament got suspended owing to a COVID-19 outbreak. He urged the players to be aggressive and express themselves through their performances out in the middle.

KKR will take on RCB in their first match of the UAE leg of IPL 2021 on September 20 in Abu Dhabi.