Kolkata Knight Riders’ Rs 24.75 Crore Gamble didn’t seem to benefit them in the team’s opening Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) encounter against SunRisers Hyderabad at the Eden Gardens on March 23. Despite a thrilling 4-run win for KKR, Mitchell Starc failed to capitalize on his debut.

However, West Indies cricket icon Brian Lara remained unperturbed by Mitchell Starc’s subpar performance with the ball during Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL 2024 opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 23 in Kolkata. Lara expressed confidence in Starc’s abilities, considering him a world-class bowler with the experience to regain form gradually as the tournament progresses. Starc faced significant scrutiny after conceding substantial runs during the death overs of the match, putting his team’s victory in jeopardy.

Mitchel Starc after 9 year in IPL pic.twitter.com/dRYT36A8vZ

— SUNill ⚠️ (@sunill03) March 20, 2024

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Following his record-breaking Rs 24.75 crore move to KKR during the IPL 2024 auction, Starc’s debut for the team was highly anticipated. However, he failed to meet expectations, conceding 53 runs in his four overs without claiming a wicket. Particularly, Starc’s 26-run over in the 18th over of the match intensified the pressure on his team, leaving them with only 13 runs to defend in the final over.

Lara On Why Starc Struggled For KKR

Reflecting on Starc’s performance, Lara pointed out the areas where the pacer faltered during the match.

“I think the strength of Mitchell Starc, we all know around the world, is that ability to use that new ball to get wickets. He didn’t get any wickets with the new ball. And when you play him at the back end, that’s not his forte, his forte is up front. But it’s only the first game, so it’s alright,” Lara told Star Sports.

Despite a commendable batting display by SRH’s Heinrich Klaasen, who scored 63 runs off 29 balls, SRH fell short of victory against KKR by just 4 runs. KKR’s Harshit Rana delivered an outstanding bowling performance, claiming 3 wickets for 33 runs, with his brilliance in the 19th over contributing significantly to his team’s victory. The man of the match award was bestowed upon KKR’s crowd favorite, Andre Russell, for his remarkable all-round performance, scoring 63 runs off 25 balls and taking 2 wickets for 25 runs in his 2 overs.

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