Mitchell Starc, the renowned Australian left-arm pacer, had been scrutinised during this IPL season. Despite his hefty price tag and impressive track record, he struggled to find his usual form, prompting questions about his performance in the world’s most lucrative T20 league, reports Live Cricket Score.
However, true champions always seize crucial moments to showcase their brilliance. Starc, with his illustrious history, including four ICC world titles with Australia, chose the crucial Qualifier match against Sunrisers Hyderabad to remind everyone of his class. Kolkata Knight Riders, who had splurged a staggering Rs 24.75 crore on him at the auctions, reaped the benefits of his prowess on this significant occasion.
The match saw Kolkata Knight Riders dominating from the outset, with their batsmen aggressively chasing the target in just 13.4 overs, securing a direct ticket to the final in Chennai. The opening duo of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sunil Narine provided a fiery start, followed by spectacular unbeaten half-centuries from Venkatesh Iyer and Shreyas Iyer, leaving Sunrisers Hyderabad reeling in shock.
Starc, often preferring to prioritize national duties over IPL commitments to maintain his physical and mental fitness, initiated Kolkata’s onslaught with a remarkable delivery to dismiss fellow Australian Travis Head. His precision and skill were evident as he bowled a delivery that angled in and then moved away, leaving Head completely bamboozled and his stumps shattered.
The momentum continued with Starc’s fiery third over. After setting up Nitish Kumar Reddy with a series of full deliveries, Starc deceived him with a well-directed short ball, inducing a top edge that was easily pouched by wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz. In the same over, he outsmarted Shahbaz Ahmed with another clever variation, catching the batsman off guard with a cross-seam delivery that resulted in an inside edge onto the stumps. With Sunrisers Hyderabad struggling at 39/4, Starc had effectively dismantled their top order.
Despite a relatively subdued IPL season for Starc, highlighted only by his 4/33 performance against Mumbai Indians, he laid the groundwork for Kolkata Knight Riders with a significant performance in the crucial Qualifier match. His efforts set the stage for his bowling colleagues to maintain the pressure on Sunrisers Hyderabad, ultimately leading to a comprehensive victory. This performance surely left team mentor Gautam Gambhir and principal owner Shah Rukh Khan pleased and reassured.
