IPL 2021: The second phase of IPL 2021 is set to begin in UAE on September 19. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will play their first match against RCB on September 20. All the players and coaches of the team have arrived here for this tournament. KKR head coach and former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum has said that everyone was sacred during the first phase of IPL in India due to the spread of the Covid-19.
Brendon McCullum wrote on KKR's website, "We will do well here in the second phase. We have to boost each other's morale and perform brilliantly for the next four to five weeks." He said, "Last time during the first leg of the session I think we were too scared. The virus had wreaked havoc in India at that time, claiming thousands of lives." KKR's performance did not go well in the first phase and the team is seventh in the points table. However, coach McCullum expects the team to perform better during the second phase in the UAE.
"The team knows how I want our team to play"
McCullum, 39, who made his IPL debut as a player with KKR, is now the coach and hopes his team will perform better. On his coaching style, he said, "When we left India, I think everyone understood me as a coach on how I want our team to play."
KKR's Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier were tested positive in the first phase
KKR spinner Varun Chakravarthy and pacer Sandeep Warrier were first found Covid positive in May during the IPL tournament in India. The IPL was later postponed because of the increasing number of Covid-19 cases.