Mitchell Starc endured a horrific start to the season, having conceded 100 runs in 8 overs without a wicket across two matches.
When Kolkata Knight Riders successfully acquired Australia’s fiery fast bowler Mitchell Starc with a record-breaking bid of INR 24.75 crore, they could not have anticipated the challenging start he would face in the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League. In KKR’s first match of the season against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Starc proved the costliest with figures of 0/53 in four overs. The trend didn’t change on Friday, when he was smashed all over the park, conceding six less in his full quota of overs against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Kolkata Knight Riders’ Mitchell Starc bowls during the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad(AFP)
The Australian is without a wicket in the first two matches but the Knight Riders, despite the underperforming star bowler, have clinched victories in both games and currently stand second in the league table.
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While that would bring Starc some relief, it goes without saying that the left-arm quick will need to bring his A-game sooner rather than later. His Australian teammate, Steve Smith, who has been a part of many IPL seasons, understands the relentless competition for places in the league and has a word of advice for the Aussie pacer as the latter continues to struggle on his return to the tournament after nine years.
Speaking to host broadcasters, Smith suggested what Starc could do differently to revive his fortunes in the league.
“I think today (against Royal Challengers Bengaluru) he was looking to wobble the ball across the right-handed batter, which is a good option, but I feel like he’s got to swing it back down the line. He is a left-hand fast bowler who can bowl at 145+ KMPH. There’s nothing like a ball swinging back into a right-handed batsman. It’s one of the hardest balls to face. So I’d like to see that first and use that one as a variation to trying to nick off from them,” Smith told Star Sports.
His fellow expert, former India pacer Irfan Pathan, also had a similar advice for Starc. Irfan suggested that Starc may still be acclimatising to the Indian conditions.
“Starc is at his best when he is swinging the ball in. When that looping swing starts to the right-hand batter, it can be lethal. And I haven’t seen that in the last two games. The head could just be staying on the ball a bit more, or it could just be the pitches, or it could just be getting used to Indian conditions. Once he starts getting that inswing, he will be a bowler to watch out for throughout the IPL,” Pathan said.
KKR travel to Vizag
The Knight Riders will travel to Visakhapatnam on Sunday as the side meets the struggling Delhi Capitals, which are yet to win a game this season. Rishabh Pant may be back for the franchise but the wicketkeeper-batter’s return wasn’t enough in the first two games, with the side facing disappointing defeats to Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals, respectively.
