Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bowler Mitchell Starc credited his wife Alyssa Healy for his success in the latter stages of the Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Mitchell Starc claimed that his performance improved noticeably after Alyssa Healy’s arrival in India for the recently concluded T20 tournament.
Mitchell Starc entered IPL 2024 amid high expectations after being bought for a record Rs 24.75 crore in the auction. However, the pacer struggled to make an impact, conceding over 100 runs in his first two matches without taking a wicket. He received criticism from fans and experts for his performance.
The left-arm spinner struggled for most of the tournament but found his groove towards the end of the league phase. He played a pivotal role for Kolkata Knight Riders in Qualifier 1 against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). He dismantled Hyderabad’s batting lineup with a three-wicket haul in the playoff match.
The 34-year-old took two wickets in the final match against SRH in Chennai on Sunday, May 26. Starc dismissed Abhishek Sharma in the first over and then took the wicket of Rahul Tripathi, finishing with 2/14 in three overs. He became the first player to be named Player of the Match twice in the playoffs.
Everything has improved since Alyssa Healy appeared – Mitchell Starc
Speaking to Star Sports, Mitchell Starc emphasized Alyssa Healy’s support as a significant boost to his confidence. The Australia women’s team captain was first seen cheering for Starc during KKR’s match against MI at the Wankhede Stadium.
“Everything is better since Alyssa (Healy) showed up,” Starc told Star Sports.
Partnership Goals! 💜 pic.twitter.com/t3EYICkKDL
– KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 27, 2024
Mitchell Starc concluded the IPL 2024 season with 17 wickets in 14 matches, averaging 26.11 with an economy rate of 10.61. The veteran fast bowler is the fifth highest wicket-taker for the Knight Riders, behind Varun Chakaravarthy (21), Harshit Rana (19), Andre Russell (19) and Sunil Narine (17).
Big night for KKR – Mitchell Starc
Speaking to the host broadcasters after the final, Mitchell Starc described the victory in the IPL 2024 final as a testament to the team’s overall performance. Starc mentioned that everyone stood out for the end of the tournament, as well as for the support of the coaching staff.
“Great night for KKR. What a match, what a series, what a season. Probably the two most exciting teams in the final, it was a great night. It was an upward journey from the start of the IPL until now. We’ve had a fantastic team of bowlers and batsmen, our staff have been fantastic in getting everyone peaking for the final part of the tournament. We’ve been a very consistent team, we haven’t had one or two standouts, it’s been contributions from everyone. Starc said.
KKR players restricted the opposition to 113 runs after losing the toss. Andre Russell picked up three wickets, while Starc and Harshit Rana took two scalps each. Venkatesh Iyer, who scored 52 runs off 26 balls, helped the team chase the target with eight wickets and 57 balls to spare.
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