Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) speedster Mitchell Starc silenced his critics with a stellar performance against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Sunday. His crucial three-wicket haul, including a dramatic two wickets in the final over, proved instrumental in restricting LSG to a below-par score.
Price Tag Pressure: Non-Issue for Mitchell Starc
Despite being the IPL’s most expensive buy this season at a staggering ₹24.75 crore, Mitchell Starc brushed aside any negativity surrounding his initial struggles. He revealed that he doesn’t pay attention to media criticism, focusing instead on his own performance.
“I don’t read anything so that doesn’t bother me,” Starc said at the post-match press conference at Eden Gardens.
Mitchell Starc finding the T20 Rhythm
Mitchell Starc acknowledged that his lack of recent T20 experience might have contributed to his slow start. He admitted it took him longer than anticipated to adjust to the format’s demands. However, his impressive showing against LSG suggests he’s finally hitting his stride.
“I haven’t played a lot of T20 cricket in the last couple of years, so it’s probably taken me a little bit longer than I would have liked to get back into the rhythm of things and make a better impact. So today was nice in that regard.”
Workload Management: A Smooth Transition
The Australian pacer emphasized that managing workload in T20 cricket wasn’t a major challenge for experienced Test players like himself. He highlighted the difference lies more in adapting to the tactical nuances of the shorter format.
Managing workload in T20 cricket and adjusting to the rigours of the IPL is not tough for Test cricketers, said Starc.
“I’m 34, so I’m pretty good with my workloads. I’ve been doing this a long time, so that’s fine.“
“It’s T20 cricket. For the guys that play a lot of Test cricket, this is certainly a lot easier physically. It’s probably more getting used to the tactical side of it.”
Short and Sweet: Moving On to Next Challenge
Mitchell Starc pointed out that the fast-paced nature of T20 allows players to quickly move past both successes and failures. He expressed his focus on the upcoming Tuesday match and his confidence in KKR’s overall performance so far in the season.
“We play again on Tuesday, and I think that’s a feature of T20 cricket, whether you have a good day or bad day. You quickly focus on the next game.“
“So far, we’ve started the season quite well as a group, and now we move on to Tuesday.“
“We kept them (LSG) under par with the way we bowled, and that showed through with the way that our batters went out there and did it pretty clinically in the end. So a pretty solid day for KKR,” he added.
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Recipe for Success for KKR
Starc praised his fellow bowlers for restricting LSG’s batting lineup. He credited this combined effort with paving the way for a dominant batting performance by KKR, securing a convincing victory for the team. With his early doubts dispelled, Starc seems poised to make a significant contribution to KKR’s IPL campaign.
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