Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum was Thursday appointed head coach of Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League.
McCullum, who played for KKR in 2008-10 and 2012-13, earlier this month announced he was retiring from cricket after the GT20 tournament in Canada.
"Brendon has been an integral part of the Knight Riders family for a long time," (KKR) chief executive Venky Mysore said in a statement.
"His leadership qualities, honesty, positive and aggressive style, combined with his natural ability to bring the best out of the teams he has been part of makes him ideally suited to lead KKR and TKR (Trinbago Knight Riders) as a head coach."
The Trinbago Knight Riders is a franchise team in the Caribbean Premier League. McCullum was part of the TKR squad from 2016-18.
One of the most hard-hitting batsmen of his generation, the 37-year-old skippered New Zealand to the 2015 World Cup final, where they were beaten by Australia.
McCullum was also part of the 2012 KKR squad that won the lucrative IPL championship.
He described his appointment as a "great honour".
"We have fantastic squads in both KKR and TKR and I along with the support staff will be looking to build on the successes both franchises have enjoyed," he added.
Production houses confirm three-way collaboration between Mehta, Pellissery, and Rahman
Film currently in casting stage with shooting planned later this year
Pellissery's track record suggests an unconventional take on the romance genre
Rahman returns to work with Mehta after their Gandhi series collaboration
Project marks Pellissery's first major crossover into Hindi film circles
Wait, read that again. Hansal Mehta's production is backing a romantic drama from Lijo Jose Pellissery. And AR Rahman? He's building the entire soundscape for it. The combination feels almost unreal, right? It's like three separate rivers of filmmaking talent suddenly crashing into one project.
Hansal Mehta teams up with Lijo Jose Pellissery and AR Rahman for a lyrical romantic drama. Getty Images/goodadsmatter.com
What's the actual plot of this pellissery film?
They're keeping story details locked down tight. The official line calls it a "lyrical exploration of love," which sounds nice but means very little coming from a director known for chaotic chases and funeral processions that spiral into madness. The script comes from Pellissery and writer Karan Vyas. Given Pellissery's history, expect something raw and unpredictable rather than rose-tinted. His approach to human relationships typically involves peeling back layers until things get messy.
Look at their backgrounds. Mehta built his name on biographical dramas and sharp social commentary. Pellissery operates in his own cinematic universe where conventional rules do not apply. Rahman's involvement guarantees the music will be another character entirely. Sahil Saigal from Mehta's production company called it "momentous" and for once that does not sound like empty producer talk. This feels like one of those projects that could actually shift how Indian films get made.
No confirmed release window yet; these things take time, especially with directors as particular as Pellissery. The production houses involved are Mehta's True Story Films and Amen Movie Monastery. This also marks the second time Rahman and Mehta have worked together after finishing their Gandhi series, which premiered at Toronto last year.
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