'Your life is changed forever': Brendon McCullum recalls Sourav Ganguly's words after his famous knock of 158 in IPL 2008
Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Brendon McCullum has recalled what Sourav Ganguly told him after his famous knock of 158 runs from 73 deliveries against Royal Challengers Bangalore. This knock came in the opening match of the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) back in 2008.
Speaking on KKR’s website, Brendon McCullum revealed that it took him years to understand the gravity of Sourav Ganguly's words. He said:
“Dada said, ‘Your life is changed forever’, and I didn’t quite know what he meant at the time, but (in hindsight), I 100% agree with him.”
No one knew how the tournament was going to fare when it was initially planned. The management was looking for something extraordinary to start with, and the innings from Brendon McCullum gave them just that.
We are trying to play a brand of cricket which represents the people of Bengal: Brendon McCullum
Brendon McCullum added that the Kolkata Knight Riders will try to play a brand of cricket which will be representative of the people of Bengal this IPL season. He said:
“We’re trying to play a style of cricket which is a great representation of the people of Bengal and also Shah Rukh, Jay (Mehta) and all those involved in the franchise. Hopefully, we will be able to be successful, because I think we’ve got the right team for it as well.”
The last time the Kolkata Knight Riders won the IPL was in 2014, and McCullum is hoping that the team will lift the title once again this year.
The 38-year-old is currently the head coach of the Trinbago Knight Riders in the ongoing CPL. He has enjoyed a successful run in the Caribbean this year, with the TKR side marching onto the finals with 11 straight wins.