OTD | Star Kiwi player Brendon McCullum was born in 1981

Brendon McCullum was born September 27, 1981, and was a legendary player for New Zealand Cricket. He is considered as one of the key factors behind their rebirth in international cricket. McCullum went from merely a lower-order finisher to becoming one of the most lethal batsmen in international cricket history. In only one year, he struck a triple century, two double hundreds, and 195 runs. 

McCullum’s early interest in cricket is hardly surprising. Both his older brother Nathan and father Stuart are elite cricket players. Stuart featured 75 First-Class games for Otago and was also a wicketkeeper. Nathan is an off-spinning all-round player who was a mainstay in both squads and had participated in many ODIs as well as T20Is for New Zealand.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) got underway with McCullum leading the way. In the first game between the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), McCullum, starting at first bat for the KKR, hammered a furious 158 off 73 balls without being dismissed. It was the best possible promotion for the T20 and IPL.

McCullum holds the unique distinction of having two consecutive T20 scores of 150 or above. In the inaugural IPL game, he hit 158 runs without conceding for KKR. He amassed another perfect score of 158 seven years later, while playing for Birmingham Bears versus Derbyshire. The innings he played for the Bears came off 64 balls, whereas his score for the KKR came from 73 deliveries.

McCullum has participated in global T20 leagues as a player. Canterbury, Otago, New South Wales, Brisbane Heat, Warwickshire, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Sussex, Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings and Glamorgan, are just a few of the teams he has played for.

Upon McCullum’s appointment as the permanent captain, New Zealand stood seventh in the Test and ninth in the ODI rankings. In just three years, he guided the Black Caps towards their first-ever World Cup final and put them in the top three throughout both Tests and ODIs.

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