Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are still waiting for Mitchell Starc to make a significant impact in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). Despite team mentor Gautam Gambhir’s initial confidence, Starc has struggled to contain opposition batters, leading to questions about his suitability as a death-over bowler for KKR.
Before the match against LSG at the Eden Gardens on April 13, Gambhir had refused to accept that Starc, picked up at the auction for a mind-boggling Rs 24.74 cr, might not have been the perfect choice, given that the Australian does not have a great record in T20s.
“I know what impact Starc can have. In fact, I am sure he will have an impact soon,” Gambhir had said.
However, three games have gone by since Gambhir’s confident declaration and Starc is still struggling to contain opposition batters. If Sunday’s game against RCB is anything to go by, the Australian legend may not fit the bill as the death-over bowler — a role KKR had in mind for him during the auction.
“We badly needed a death-over bowler, so we desperately went after Starc,” KKR’s skipper of last season Nitish Rana had told TOI before the start of this season. “He is quite experienced in handling the pressure of expectations.”
Seven matches into the tournament, KKR might not be so sure now. Bowling the last over against RCB on Sunday, Starc needed to defend 21 runs. He just about managed that thanks to a low reflex return catch off Karn Sharma, who was taking him to the cleaners.
“He is a great bowler and will definitely come good at some stage in this tournament,” fellow KKR pacer Harshit Rana said.
Rana talked about taking the pace off deliveries for a fast bowler to be successful on flat Indian wickets during the IPL. Perhaps that’s where Starc has been found wanting.
“The ball is coming nicely on to the bat and it is easy to hit,” Rana, who grabbed two wickets for 33 runs in his four overs, said.
Starc was allowed only three overs, conceded 55 runs at an economy of over 18. He has played in all seven KKR matches so far, giving away 287 runs for his six wickets. His economical rate of over 11 does not do justice to his reputation.
Bowling the deceptive slower one is a weapon that pacers are using with great effect on Indian wickets. That’s one area that Starc has to work on.
KKR CEO Venky Mysore too put his weight behind the pacer on the sidelines of an event on Monday. “He’s a superstar,” Mysore said. “We don’t think of it from an investment standpoint. We just felt that an addition to the team like Mitchell Starc would add a lot of value, which it has. His presence itself adds a different dynamic to the team.”
It was a bit of a surprise to see Starc throwing his hat in the auctions this time. He had stayed away from the IPL since 2015 and perhaps the idea of getting himself into the groove before the T20 World Cup prodded him to sign up.
Will that backfire, given that non-regular batters like Karn Sharma and lesser-known ones like Will Jacks are giving him the stick? Also his confidence could well take a beating before the important tournament.
There are still a few games for him to make amends.
