5 things which nobody did before Brendon McCullum

New Zealand's Brendon McCullum has undoubtedly been one of the most special players cricket has ever seen. While he may come across as a maverick at times, he has managed to pull off some spectacular deeds which many cannot even imagine.In more ways than one, McCullum has been a pioneer as well in the sense that he has been the first to do a number of things for his country and in the cricketing world too.While most of them were with the bat in hand, some are also related to his captaincy. Here are 5 things which nobody did before Brendon McCullum:

#5 First batsman to have a strike rate of more than 300 in a World Cup innings

McCullum demolished England in the World Cup with one of the fastest knocks ever

A group stage match between New Zealand and England in the 2015 ICC World Cup got transformed into a party as Brendon McCullum started to go after Anderson & Co. The swashbuckling Kiwi batsman launched into the opposition bowlers scoring 77 off 25 at a strike rate of 308 with 7 sixes and 8 fours.

This was the first time a batsman had mustered a strike rate of 300 plus in a World Cup innings. Mitchell Johnson and Andre Russell achieved this feat in the same tournament but they both did it after McCullum.

However, McCullum’s strike rate of 308 is surely the best for an innings of 50 runs or above in World Cup cricket.

#4 First New Zealand captain to lead his team to the World Cup final

New Zealand had their best ever World Cup this year under McCullum’s captaincy

Brendon McCullum has been doing a fine job ever since he took over as New Zealand’s skipper. Perhaps the greatest testimony to his captaincy prowess is the fact that he became the first and only New Zealand captain to lead his team to the final of a World Cup.

Prior to this, the Kiwis had come agonisingly close to this feat only to falter in the semi-finals. However, this time around they looked to be the strongest team in the tournament and remained unbeaten until they eventually lost to Australia in the final.

This was certainly the best New Zealand had ever played in cricket’s marquee tournament and a lot of credit for it went to skipper Brendon McCullum.

#3 First batsman to score 150 in any T20 match

McCullum set the Chinnaswamy Stadium on fire in the very first IPL match

18 April 2008 will remembered by the cricketing world for two reasons; firstly, because it marked the beginning of the Indian Premier League and secondly, Brendon McCullum became the first ever batsman to score a 150 in T20 cricket. McCullum gave the tournament the perfect advertisement in its very first match by hammering an unbeaten 158 off just 73 balls for Kolkata Knight Riders against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

It remained the highest score in T20 cricket for more than 5 years until Chris Gayle conjured 175 not out for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2013. An interesting fact is that McCullum has scored 158 not out twice in his T20 career, the second instance being for Warwickshire in July this year.

#2 First and only New Zealand batsman to score a triple ton

Brendon McCullum celebrates the first triple century by a Kiwi batsman

No Kiwi batsman had ever scored a triple century in Test cricket before Brendon McCullum got one against India at Wellington last year. His epic 302 came from 559 deliveries and saved New Zealand from a certain defeat in the second Test of a 2-match series.

It is currently the highest score by a batsman from McCullums country, the others who came close to this being Martin Crowe with 299 in 1991 against Sri Lanka at Wellington and Ross Taylor with 290 against Australia at Perth last month. This knock is one of the finest examples of how Brendon McCullum has been a true pioneer for New Zealand cricket.

#1 First and only batsman to score 2 T20I centuries

McCullum on course to his 1^st T20I century

The T20 format was tailor-made for someone like Brendon McCullum to showcase his skills and it is something he has done with great aplomb in his career. Not only is he the highest run-scorer of all time in T20Is, but he has also hit the most number of sixes with 91 to his credit.

McCullum holds the unique record of being the first and only batsman to have scored 2 centuries in T20I cricket. His first century was an unbeaten 116 against Australia at Christchurch in 2010 and it won him the T20 Performance of the Year award at the 2010 ICC Awards. The second one came in the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 against Bangladesh.

Although it is a record which is destined to be eclipsed, Brendon McCullum will be remembered to be the first one to achieve it