IPL 2020: Can McCullum make a sensational debut as coach?

Among all the seven overseas coaches in the Indian Premier League, New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum will be making his ‘coaching debut’ along with Rajasthan Royal’s Andrew McDonald. However, ‘IPL and debut’ have a special connection with this New Zealander.

Back in 2008, when IPL was making its historic debut at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, it was the then 26-year-old McCullum who mesmerized everyone with a breathtaking knock of an unbeaten 158 in just 73 deliveries. McCullum hit 13 sixes and 10 boundaries in his innings which is arguably the best-ever to this day. I remember interviewing McCullum the next morning in the hotel and found that he was yet to comprehend the enormity of his opening act. In fact, earlier this year I managed to show him the video clip of that interview in the press box in Hamilton and he was ‘embarrassed’ with his look!

Anyway, McCullum as a coach is more prepared for his debut in the IPL than he was as a player. Former KKR captain has just won his first Twenty-20 title as a coach, leading Trinbago Knight Riders to the Caribbean Premier League title earlier this week. So, as a coach, McCullum had a best ‘practice-session’ and his team became the first team to go through an entire Caribbean Premier League season undefeated.

McCullum is in the United Arab Emirates with the KKR. Over the last decade, McCullum represented five teams in the IPL which includes Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Lions, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, and Royal Challengers Bangalore apart from KKR. However, his connection with KKR was always special because of its owner Shah Rukh Khan. “Shah Rukh, in the months which followed or the days and the weeks (after his century in Bangalore), he said. ‘You’ll always be with the Knight Riders,’ recalled McCullum in an interview to KKR’s official website.

“There were times when I was with KKR, and then I got released, but we always finished on really good terms. I was always very grateful, and thankful for the opportunity that the franchise had provided for me. So when an opportunity arose again (for the role of the head coach), I thought: ‘Well, Shah Rukh did say to me ‘You’ll always be very involved with KKR’ and this, I guess, is another opportunity,” added the KKR’s coach for 2020.

As captain of New Zealand, McCullum’s unique style of captaincy earned him plaudits from everyone despite being the runners-up in the 2015 World Cup final in Australia. As a coach, a similar kind of approach is expected from him.

Former Australia coach John Buchanan was perhaps the first to see McCullum's potential as a leader during his KKR stint in 2008-09 “I am sure Brendon will bring to coaching the same sort of storm approach that he brought to the game as a player and as a captain, as a leader, as a batsman. He likes to take the game on, chances his arm, takes a bit of risk,” says Buchanan to this writer.

KKR has won the IPL title twice but their last triumph came way back in 2014. However, with a new coach in McCullum, things can change for the better. “He certainly backs all his players to the hilt. It gives him that opportunity to do the same. He was a well-respected team person as well as a captain. So I think he’ll bring all sorts of traits to his coaching. It's certainly a different role from being a player and being a captain. I am sure he has a fair bit of learning to do. If he shows the same aptitude and adaptability as a coach as he did as a batsman and a leader of a team, I am sure he will make some reasonable success,” concludes Buchanan.

Vimal Kumar is a senior sports journalist who has covered multiple cricket world cups and Rio Olympics in the last two decades. Vimal is also the author of Sachin: Cricketer Of  The Century and The Cricket Fanatic’s Essential Guide.