Sunday, June 24, 2012

Return of the Dark Knight...!

Brendon Mccullum, whose name itself is enough to send down shivers across the opposition is the comeback guy for the Kolkata Knight Riders. The ex-captain of the same team in the 2rd edition of the IPL, he certainly knows the tricks of the trade. He has the record of highest run scored by an individual in a Twenty20 match to his name. The better part is that this score of 158 came for the same team, the Kolkata Knight Riders and that too in the very first match played in the history of IPL. McCullum singlehandedly gave the IPL the sort of high voltage start-up any business would cherish. One might say that with the presence of Brad Haddin, (also a classic wicket keeper batsman) in the side, and his not-so-brilliant performances in the recent past, there was no need of whiling away such a huge amount on him, but then as they say "Form is Temporary, Class is permanent"!
Moreover, another advantage of having a player of his stature on their side is that he has a got huge experience and a typically aggressive frame of mind, which is an extremely important element of any T20 match. He is also going to bring in the much needed stability in the side as they now have two regular world class openers in the form of Gautam Gambhir and Brendon Mccullum. Having played three years in this franchise it would not take him much time to adjust, and being the ex-captain, and a swashbuckling batsman he is certainly a big crowd puller too.
The other team players are also excited about him joining the side, as stated by Yusuf Pathan in the recent interviews “He will be a great boost to the team. He can score runs quickly at the top of the order and can keep wickets - an asset to any team. His inclusion will surely make KKR more formidable”. Another reason which for absorbing him in the squad is that there are no matches of New Zealand team during the IPL season and he will be available throughout. The critics might still find flaws with this selection as his earlier stint with the side was not a memorable one, barring a handful of innings. So, Brendon Mccullum would be hoping to put his criticisms to rest and prove that even after being on the wrong side of the thirties he can contribute handsomely with bat, and finally help them win the elusive IPL trophy

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