Brendon McCullum at the Eden, on Saturday. A Telegraph picture

Calcutta: Brendon McCullum, the dasher from Dunedin, spoke to The Telegraph at The ITC Sonar on Saturday afternoon, shortly before his first practice session with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL III.

Being a batsman-’keeper, the 28-year-old McCullum is an all-rounder of sorts. He’s no more the New Zealand vice-captain, though.

The following are excerpts

Q You’ve arrived at a critical time in KKR’s campaign...

A It’s fantastic to have the control in your own hands... We’re at a stage where, if we play well, we’ll be able to make the semi-finals, which is the first target for all teams.

Did you actually view any of the KKR matches in New Zealand?

A few, yes... It was good to see the guys performing well in certain games... Four wins in the first eight matches is much better than what we did last year... We’ve got a good mix of domestic players and international talent.

You aren’t the captain this season. Are you, then, going to bat freely — like you did in IPL I, in 2008?

(Smiles) Hope so... At the international-level, I’ve done well throughout this season... I’m determined to take my form forward... Not being the captain will allow me to focus on my batting.

The captaincy appeared to have affected your performance in 2009...

Well, my form leading into IPL II hadn’t been great... Then, there was that extra responsibility... I did put too much pressure on myself and things didn’t quite work out the way we’d expected them to... My normal game is free-flowing... It’s aggressive... Last season, being the captain, it changed somewhat.

There must have been awkward moments last season, in South Africa, with predecessor (now successor) Sourav Ganguly being in the same dressing room... Your take on the captaincy issue?

Look, the feeling (after IPL II) was that, going forward, Sourav had the determination to get the results... At the end of the day, the franchise made the right decision... Sourav’s got all the experience and has achieved a lot... I’m sure the guys would like to follow his example..... (After a pause) Yes, it had been difficult both for Sourav and me, in South Africa… Having said that, I was clear in my mind that even if I didn’t continue as captain, I’d be extending my support to whoever got the job (in the third season).

What did you learn during the five-six weeks as the KKR captain?

A lot of lessons, actually, which have helped make me a better cricketer... One being that I must play to my core strengths... That I’ve got to be dynamic, play freely and I’ve got to be aggressive... We faced some tough situations last season and things didn’t work out well for the team and for me, both as a player and as captain. Tough situations make you better and I’ve definitely become so.

Your views on Sourav as captain...

He’d been the captain in 2008, when I played the first few matches for KKR... Sourav has leadership skills and the way he played the other night (MoM against the Deccan Chargers) showed he’s still a force to reckon with... I’m looking forward to again playing under Sourav’s leadership.

Frankly, what did you make of John Buchanan’s multiple captains’ theory?

Don’t think multiple captains was the right term... I don’t think KKR was run any differently from the other teams, where four-five players are in a leadership role... Ultimately, one person (the captain) makes the crunch decisions... The controversy sensationalised it... We’ve gone through that and, then, come out on the other side...

Any message for the KKR fans?

Keep believing in us and keep supporting us... We’ll be playing our hearts out and striving for the results they and the owners deserve. I’m aware KKR has a huge fan base.

Nobody has forgotten your 158 not out in the IPL’s opening game (April 18, 2008), against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Do you see that innings as a defining moment in your career?

Yes, in terms of international recognition... It was quite a height to achieve and I did well in the following months, too...

What goes into being successful in T20?

Look, you’ve got to have that aggressive streak and no fear of failure... Indeed, in T20, you can’t fear failure... Obviously, there will be occasions when you’ll miss out, but that’s the way it is... Whatever, you’ve got to back yourself and believe that an aggressive style is going to work... If 11 guys have that belief, then the team is bound to do well. I mean, a couple of them, at least, should come off and that will be enough to win.

How differently do you approach T20?

There’s an increased level of aggressiveness... One tries to operate differently, for you’ve got to score much faster... One has to put pressure on the bowlers and not lose sight of the fact that a T20 match can be won and lost in the space of six deliveries... You’ve got to win the key moments.

Given your credentials, you’ll be under quite a bit of pressure. How do you intend handling it?

I have expectations of my own, as well... Being under pressure means you’re respected... The team looks up to you... Pressure hasn’t been a problem for me... I’m looking forward to the challenge and I’m hoping to put my best foot forward.

You did well in the just-ended engagements against Australia...

Everyone holds Australia as one of the best teams, if not the best, team... Playing against them is big and I’m glad how things unfolded for me (a hundred in the two-Test series, a hundred in the two-match T20 face-off and an average of 30-plus in the five ODIs)... It lifted my confidence... Of course, I would’ve been happier had we done better as a team.

[Australia won the Tests 2-0 and the ODIs 3-2. The T20 Internationals ended 1-1.]

You’ve been playing for New Zealand from 2002. Why is it that the team can’t get across the line on the bigger occasions?

We’re not where we want to be... We do okay... But, yes, we’d like to be regularly challenging the top teams... Problem is that we don’t have the depth (in talent) in Test cricket... We perform pretty well in ODIs and T20, though... We’re close to achieving something, but... Once we do something big, the barrier will break and enhance our self-belief.

Mark Greatbatch has taken over as the New Zealand coach, but it’s said that captain Daniel Vettori is the super coach...

(Laughs) Dan oversees things...

A couple of general questions... Who would you pick in your dream T20 XI?

I won’t take names, but talk about the kind of players I’d select... In India, I’d go for spinners, I’d look for a guy with genuine pace... I’d go for batters who can win a game on their own... The aggressive ones.

Finally, has Sachin Tendulkar’s form in IPL III, given his none-too-hot run in the first two seasons, taken you by surprise?

Not surprised at all... We know he’s an amazing cricketer. At some stage or the other, the classy ones will come out on top.