Kolkata Knight Riders has made an incredible comeback in IPL 2021, which is into its third-ever final. Meanwhile, KKR's batting coach David Hussey has this man to thank for it.
There has been no stopping former champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as it overcame Delhi Capitals (DC) by three wickets in a thrilling fashion in Qualifier 2 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. Consequently, KKR has sealed its final berth, where it takes on fellow former champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Dubai on Friday.
KKR has been on a roll in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) leg, winning seven of the nine matches so far, compared to winning just a couple of the seven during the India leg. As KKR looks to continue its distinctive form in the final and aim at winning its third IPL title, batting coach David Hussey has credited this man for the franchise's turnaround this season.
"It's unheard of what he [McCullum] has actually done here. It's remarkable. We were seventh in the table and not playing great cricket, and he's just turned it around. He has given everybody a fresh lease of life. He's freshened up the place. Everybody's happy, everybody's smiling, and he should take a lot of credit. I know he won't because he's a very humble man, but he should take a lot of credit for what he has been able to accomplish in this part of the IPL," he said during the post-match press conference.
"I think the break in the halfway stage of the IPL definitely helped. But, I truly believe that Morgan is captaining really well. He's marshalling the troops. He's tactically very clever. The bowling changes have been spot on. I think that's contributed to our success this time around. Venkatesh Iyer is just a class player at the top. He is tall, a Stephen Fleming clone, I believe. He has got a big future in the game," he added.
However, during the chase against DC, KKR was notable for its terrible middle over collapse, helping DC bounce back considerably well. But, Hussey is not really concerned by it, considering the class the order possesses.
"I'm not concerned because they're all classy players. They know how to play. It's just the difficult nature of the pitches that we've been playing on. It makes the middle-order players sort of stand out. They're not getting their strike rates to 200. They have to knuckle down and maybe go at a strike rate of 110 to 120," he reckoned.
Speaking on the final in Dubai, where dew has played an important factor, Hussey figured, "I'm hoping the groundsmen spray the ground beforehand so that both teams get a fair and equitable game whether you bat first or bowl first. It's going to be a huge issue, but we're just gonna execute our skills under pressure, and who knows. We are really well planned and really well measured, so if we plan well and execute well. Hopefully, we come out on top."