IPL 2021: "Try and bring the fun back and we will be good" - KKR coach Brendon McCullum hopeful of staging a turnaround in the second phase
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Brendon McCullum has completed his quarantine in the UAE and has joined the squad for their training sessions ahead of the second phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2021).
The New Zealander seemed upbeat about his team's preparations for the flagship tournament. In a video shared by the franchise on their social media handles, the cricketer-turned-coach expressed his excitement about getting back with the team after an extended break.
The 39-year-old opined that the players look in good shape ahead of their remaining games. He said:
"It's nice to be back. Everyone looks in good order, you know. Try and bring the fun back and we will be good. Lads, good to see you all. Sorry for being a little late. Few challenges getting out of New Zealand and getting over here but it's nice to be here with you now."
The seasoned campaigner reckoned it was vital to keep the morale of the team high, regardless of the results. He got straight to business after his pep talk as he observed the KKR team's net session.
"One thing I always want us to do, regardless of whether we are winning or losing, is to stay really tight as a group and keep the morale as high as possible," said McCullum in the video.
KKR have an uphill task ahead of them
The Eoin Morgan-led KKR side are currently languishing in the penultimate position in the points table. The two-time champions managed to secure just two victories from seven games in the first half of the cash-rich league earlier this year.
KKR are set to resume their campaign on September 20 as they take on the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Abu Dhabi. It will be imperative for them to come up with an improved performance in order to remain in contention for an all-important playoffs spot.
KKR squad for the UAE leg: Eoin Morgan, Dinesh Karthik, Shubman Gill, Sunil Narine, Rahul Tripathi, Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russell, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Nitish Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Mavi, Pawan Negi, Tim Seifert, Shakib al Hasan, Sheldon Jackson, Vaibhav Arora, Karun Nair, Harbhajan Singh, Ben Cutting, Venkatesh Iyer, Tim Southee.