‘We can give a little bit of hope even in these difficult times’ – Brendon McCullum addresses KKR amidst COVID-19 pandemic

Brendon McCullum, the former New Zealand skipper, addressed the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), in the dressing room after the team’s five-wicket win over the Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Monday, April 26 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The veteran talked about the grim situation in India and how the country’s people are grappling through difficult times.

McCullum stated that the cricketers are privileged to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and staying in bubbles. He urged the players to churn out a brand of cricket that will provide the people something to cheer for in the pandemic.

We are in a very privileged position: Brendon McCullum

“I know people out there are struggling at the moment in terms of the pandemic and the situation not just here in India but also abroad. It’s heightened here in India. I understand it’s a difficult time.

“We are going to do our best to try and play a brand of cricket and a style of cricket that gives those people back home something to look forward to, even if it is just for 3 or 4 hours,” McCullum was quoted as saying in a video.

“We are in a very privileged position, we can give a little bit of hope even in these difficult times,” McCullum added.

“I think when we first came out of the lockdown, I remember the first sport being on TV was probably in New Zealand and in Australia. It was the Rugby Union’s league and then slowly, the Bundesliga started and the Premier League started,” he mentioned.

The second wave of COVID-19 has hit India hard. Over three lakh positive cases are being recorded on a daily basis and the death toll is also going up. Recently, Pat Cummins and Brett Lee made donations in India’s fight against the virus.

As far as KKR’s match against PBKS was concerned, Eoin Morgan and Co managed to cease their losing streak after four losses on the trot. With the win, they moved to fifth in the points table.

The skipper also gained his form back with an unbeaten 47 off 40 balls. After winning the toss and opting to field, KKR restricted their opponent to 123 and chased the target down with 20 balls left.