He need not have worried.
The swash-buckling Otago wicket-keeper batsman singlehandedly set the new IPL alight with a world-record unbeaten 156 off 73 balls as his Kolkata Knight Riders cruised to victory over Bangalore in the opening Twenty/20 match.
He smashed 10 fours and 13 sixes and has already gone some way to justifying the $US700,000 ($NZ890,000) paid for his services by Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan.
‘‘I haven't been that nervous in international cricket for a long time,'' McCullum told baggygreen.com.
‘‘It was partly because of the hype around the game and some of the big names in the side with huge records. I guess you want to prove yourself and that adds to the nerves around.''
The previous best Twenty/20 score belonged to Australian Cameron White, who scored an unbeaten 141 for Somerset against Worcester in 2006. He was a member of the Bangalore side and witnessed first hand McCullum's onslaught, as his only over went for 24 runs.
The innings continues McCullum's golden summer. In Queenstown in December he smashed 80 off 28 balls against Bangladesh, while he also hit a State Shield record 170 off 108 balls to guide Otago to victory over Auckland in the competition final.
