New Zealand cricket team won the 3rd One-day International against Australia by 55 runs and also the Chappell-Hadlee trophy 2-1 on February 8. With this, the ODI career of Brendon McCullum ended.

Brendon, 34, ended his ODI career after playing 260 matches for New Zealand, scoring 6,083 runs (average 30.41), and hitting five centuries and 32 fifties at a high strike rate of 96.37.

Brandon, who made his debut against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January 2002, will play his last Test also against Australia in Christ Church, from February 20.

His retirement will create a huge gap at the top order of New Zealand’s batting, especially in the shorter versions of the game.

After the 2011 World Cup, Brendon became the most aggressive opener in world cricket. His strike rate since 2012 was 152.16, the highest by an ODI opener in this period.

Only two New Zealand batsmen have scored more runs than Brendon: Stephen Fleming (8007) and Nathan Astle (7090).

Brendon hit 200 sixes in One-day Internationals, trailing only Shahid Afridi (351), Sanath Jayasuriya (270) and Chris Gayle (238). He is on the top in Twenty20 Internationals with 91 sixes; Chris Gayle is behind him with 87.

Brendon is one of the only two batsmen to have hit 100 sixes in Tests. Adam Gilchrist is the other.

Brendon also scored 2140 runs in Twenty20 International, highest by any batsman. His teammate Martin Guptill is behind him with 1666 runs.

Brendon is the only batsman to have scored two centuries in T20Is; fifteen other batsmen have scored one hundred each in the shortest format of the game.

He is the only batsman in world cricket who batted at nine different positions in both Tests and ODIs.

After Sri Lanka’s master blaster Sanath Jayasuriya, Brendon availed himself of the maximum benefit of the first power play and scored most runs.

Who can forget his innings at Queenstown in 2007 when after Bangladesh were bowled out for just 93, Brendon blasted 80 from 28 balls and the Kiwis won the match in just six overs.

In the 2015 World Cup his aggression was on top as he scored 328 runs in nine matches with four fifties in the tournament, at a strike rate of 188.50. Against England, he scored 25-ball 77 in Wellington, taking just 18 balls to reach his fifty.

His outstanding performance helped New Zealand reach their first-ever World Cup final.

His attacking style since he took over the captaincy in 2012 made the game more entertaining for the viewers.

His absence will be felt in the World Twenty20 next month in India not only by the New Zealanders but fans worldwide.

Under Brendon’s leadership, New Zealand played 36 One-day Internationals and won 22. His win-loss ratio of 1.63 is the best for any New Zealand captain.

Brendon made his Test debut against South Africa in 2004. He has not missed a Test since.

In Tests before this series against Australia, Brendon had scored 6,273 runs, including 11 centuries, averaging 38.48, which makes him New Zealand’s second highest Test run-getter behind former captain Stephen Fleming (7,172).

He is also the only triple-century maker for New Zealand. He scored 302 runs against India in Wellington last year.

Brendon gave courage to other top-order players like Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor. That’s why there are very few matches in which Kiwis lower order has the opportunity to bat these days.