5 Former cricketers who can replace Brendon McCullum as KKR head coach in IPL 2023

Former New Zealand cricketer Brendon McCullum has been appointed the head coach of England’s men’s Test team. The 40-year-old’s appointment has now been made official by the ECB. However, for Kolkata Knight Riders, McCullum’s departure means massive boots to fill in. Particularly as a bigwig figure in the franchise, McCullum has helped KKR imbibe the thrilling brand of cricket. Last year, his fervent association with former skipper Eoin Morgan also recuperated Kolkata to finish as runners-up. More importantly, the T20 legend’s new role will also refrain him from coaching Trinbago Knight Riders in the CPL. Therefore in this list, let’s check out the five former cricketers who can replace Brendon McCullum as KKR head coach in IPL 2023. 1. Simon Katich Simon Katich. (Photo Source: Twitter) This Aussie cricketer is very familiar when it comes to coaching both KKR and the IPL. Just recently after the 2022 mega auction, Katich resigned as SRH’s assistant coach. Because of his differences with regard to managing the team, Katich had decided to step down. Before joining hands with the orange army, the southpaw had a successful stint with RCB. While collectively helming the red army with Mike Hesson, RCB had qualified for playoffs in IPL 2020 & 2021. But sadly even this stint of Katich had ended abruptly in the second half of IPL 2021. However, when it comes to the purple army, the 46-year-old had once served as deputy of head coach Jacques Kallis. In fact, Katich can again become an excellent choice for KKR. As the Australian is also keen to coach an IPL franchise, Kolkata can be his new place to thrive. Overall, onboarding with KKR might also pave the way for Katich to coach in other global T20 leagues. Like Brendon McCullum, he can even helm the other two franchises of the Knight Riders group. 2. Trevor Bayliss Trevor Bayliss. (Photo Source: Twitter) Interestingly, this Aussie maestro carries a well-proven record when it comes to coaching KKR. It was under Bayliss’s leadership that the purple army had won its two IPL titles. Currently, the 59-year-old is only coaching Sydney Thunder in the BBL. Also, in the upcoming Hundred competition, Bayliss is expected to helm the London Spirits. Perhaps as an eminent white-ball coach, the veteran has also won championships like BBL and CLT20 with Sydney Sixers. Even during his international stint with England, Bayliss had completely revived their white-ball game and won the 2019 World Cup. Also during his brief stint with SRH, the orange army had finished third in IPL 2020. Comprehensively for KKR, their former sagacious coach can again become an ideal option to fill the massive void. Eventually, Bayliss can also end the franchise’s drought of not winning any IPL title since 2014. 3. Justin Langer Justin Langer. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images) Even Justin Langer can be a compelling option as KKR’s next head coach. The Aussie legend with regards to his stature can become a befitting replacement for Brendon McCullum. More importantly, with Langer looking to coach for a prolonged period, he can prolifically make Kolkata his new home. So far after his resignation as Australia’s head coach, the southpaw is yet to associate himself with any team. Also as a T20 head coach, the 51-year-old has left a lasting legacy at Perth Scorchers. With the orange army in the BBL, Langer has lifted three BBL titles. Adding to that, the Aussie great also made his country win the first-ever T20 World Cup. Overall, maybe after coaching full-time in international cricket, Langer can find a good breather in the IPL and he can take KKR to new heights in the upcoming years. 4. Jacques Kallis Jacques Kallis. (Photo Source: Twitter) As a former Knight Riders player and coach, Jacques Kallis can again rejoin the KKR setup. Till 2014, the South Africa legend had represented Kolkata and then was appointed a batting consultant. In fact, after Trevor Bayliss’s exit in 2015, Kallis was promoted as a head coach. Under him, the franchise had thrice qualified for playoffs. However post Kallis’s farewell, KKR has reached just once in the knockout stages. Barring their resurgence in IPL 2021, the purple army has looked largely inferior and topsy-turvy. Currently, the 46-year-old Protea also looks accessible to get him on board. Overall, last year while temporarily coaching England, Kallis had emphasized being open to any coaching opportunities. Hopefully, his re-entry into the franchise can also reinvigorate the team’s overall fortunes. 5. David Hussey David Hussey. (Photo Source: Twitter) Well, as an in-house candidate, even David Hussey can further coach the KKR team. His association with the franchise is also almost now three years old. By joining as a mentor in IPL 2020, both David and Brendon McCullum have collectively helmed the squad. Also so far in the other T20 leagues, the 44-year-old is the head coach of Melbourne Stars in the BBL. In the 2021-22 season, David had replaced Stephen Fleming. But disappointingly, the Stars ended their season at sixth position in the points table. Nevertheless for Kolkata, promoting David Hussey also means making very minimal changes in their support staff. The Aussie cricketer can persist with the same team culture and even with the ongoing brand of cricket. Unsurprisingly, even the players might vouch for him as the next head coach.

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5 Former cricketers who can replace Brendon McCullum as KKR head coach in IPL 2023

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5. David Hussey

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