Williamson, one of the most stylish young batsmen in world cricket, is no stranger to captaincy. But, it would be a huge task for him to step into McCullum’s shoes, that too at the marquee event. Naturally, Williamson hoped to draw a lot of positives from his predecessor’s stint.

“Brendon certainly led by example but he encouraged others to do the same. He created a lot of leaders in the group and he’s the first to say that although it was his vision and (coach) Mike Hesson’s vision the way the guys brought into it was equally important,” said Williamson at the team’s first media interaction here on Tuesday.

“We certainly saw that on the field but the focus was very much off the field, team culture and guys playing for one another, selfless cricketers, guys going out and committing to the situation for the benefit of the side. I think it’s important that it’s continued. There is naturally a transition when you lose a player, someone of the calibre of Brendon.”

Besides his leadership abilities, McCullum also leaves a huge hole in New Zealand’s batting line-up, especially in the shortest version. After all, he has been topping the run charts for a majority of the last decade since T20Is were introduced in 2005.

Captaincy burden

As a result, Williamson will also have to ensure his batting doesn’t slip up under the captaincy burden. Being in silken touch with the willow, he isn’t too concerned about his batting form. “Personally I try and keep my game as simple as I can and make subtle adjustments to different sides and surfaces that you play on. Try to keep it simple and be relaxed in the middle is I think a very important thing,” Williamson said.

In his quest to stamp his authority, Williamson couldn’t have asked for a stiffer challenge than the tournament-opener against India. The soft-spoken Kiwi gave India its due.