Just five months ago, KKR missed a golden opportunity to clinch their third IPL title when they lost to CSK by 27 runs in the final at Dubai on October 15. They had a terrific turnaround when the tournament was rescheduled in the UAE after Covid-19 gripped India. Before the tournament moved to the UAE, KKR had just two wins from the first seven games. They then won seven matches from the remaining 10 games, something that McCullum is very proud of.

“I was immensely proud of what we were able to achieve last year, especially where we were at the halfway stage of the tournament; to [go] where we got and the style of cricket that we played. There were real lessons to learn not just from the franchisee point of view, but [also] from the coaching point of view. If we get the boys to understand the style of play you want and get them to buy into it, then we can be a really powerful unit. We didn’t win the [2021] final, but we had a really good tournament in the end,” he said.

Poll

Who will win the Punjab Elections?

BJP 32.86%

AAP 41.43%

INC 25.71%

Submit

View All In Poll

‘Revenge not on mind’

So, will revenge be on the mind? “Revenge doesn’t really come in my make-up. We played a good final. Chennai were too good on that day. We got our opportunities, but we could not get over the line. It is not a revenge thing at all for us, but it will be nice to start the tournament well against a very good side, who have a slight change in their direction as well with MS Dhoni relinquishing the captaincy to Jadeja,” said McCullum.

The former New Zealand dasher is excited to team up with Shreyas. “He has the potential to be a real superstar. I met him five years ago and we clicked a picture together. He was playing for Delhi and I was playing for Gujarat [Lions]. We exchanged phone numbers, but he never called me because he was too intimidated (laughs). And here he is, already captaining the franchisee and a big star in India. He has a nice and warming presence and is willing to learn,” said the coach.