Australian left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc has returned to the Indian Premier League (IPL) arena after nearly a decade and participated on Tuesday in the Kolkata Knight Riders' second warm-up match at the iconic Eden Gardens. (More Cricket News)
Starc, who last played in the IPL for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) back in 2014 and 2015 was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise in 2018 but he had to withdraw due to an injury. Now KKR have bought him for a whopping Rs 24.75 crore in a bid to strengthen their pace attack.
"It's always a bit of a circus when it is the best T20 league in the world. It's definitely a new challenge. Yeah, it's going to be exciting. So, yeah I look forward to it," said Starc, expressing his excitement about the upcoming tournament and the fresh challenge it presents.
Despite his previous stint with RCB, Starc found himself amidst a new set of teammates in KKR, presenting an opportunity for him to forge new connections and contribute to the team's success.
In the warm-up match, Starc showcased his prowess with the new ball, troubling the opposition batters with his pace and bounce. He displayed his ability to generate awkward bounce from a sluggish pitch, keeping the batters on their toes. He disturbed the opener batters Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Angkrish Raghuvanshi in his first over.
While Starc made an impact with an early breakthrough, he faced stiff resistance from Rinku Singh and Manish Pandey during the death overs, conceding 20 runs in the final over.
Rinku started with a six over wid-wicket when Starc missed the yorker. On the next five deliveries, he leaked 14 runs and ended his bowling figures with 4-0-40-1.
However, his overall performance left a positive impression, setting the stage for KKR's tournament opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Kolkata.
Watching from the sidelines, former IPL-winning captain Gautam Gambhir, now serving as the team's mentor, would likely have been pleased with Starc's spirited display.
The presence of former England captain Andrew Flintoff added to the excitement of the occasion, as he exchanged pleasantries with the KKR team management.
