Former Team India bowling coach Bharat Arun has praised Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) fast bowler Mitchell Starc for his remarkable comeback in the playoffs of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. Bharat Arun described Mitchell Starc as one of the best bowlers in the world across all three formats.
Kolkata Knight Riders bought Mitchell Starc for Rs 24.75 crore in last year’s mini-auction. The left-arm pacer struggled in the early stages of the IPL 2024 season due to price pressure. He recorded bowling figures of 0/53 and 0/47 in his first two matches of the recently concluded tournament.
The 34-year-old finished with figures of 3/34 in the crucial Qualifier 1 match against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). The veteran pacer won the ‘Player of the Match’ award for helping the team reach the final. He finished with 2/24 from his three overs in the final and was named Player of the Match in Chennai on 26 May.
Mitchell Starc is one of the best bowlers – Bharat Arun
In a conversation with RevSportz, Bharat Arun stated that Mitchell Starc performed exceptionally when it was needed the most. Arun stated that Starc was aware of his strengths and understood the conditions of the match, which made him unstoppable.
“He has shown the world that he is one of the best bowlers in all formats. And when the chips were down, a lot of people criticized him, but given the player he is, who has (also) faced many such situations “He was aware of his strengths. It was just a matter of time (for him) to understand the conditions and once he did, he was unstoppable.” Bharat Arun told RevSportz.
Mitchell Starc played a pivotal role in Knight Riders’ victory in the IPL after ten years. The senior cricketer finished the season with 17 wickets in 14 matches, at an average of 26.11 and an economy rate of 10.61. He became the first player to receive the Man of the Match award twice in the history of the IPL playoffs.
Everyone is aware of what Mitchell Starc can do – Bharat Arun
Bharat Arun emphasized that discussions during Mitchell Starc’s struggles focused on reminding him of his strengths and how to use them effectively. Arun said that once Starc adopted this knowledge, his performance improved markedly.
“Everyone is aware of what Starc can do as a bowler and that is precisely the reason why the franchise chose him. Yes, the dialogues always try to remember his strengths and my experience of seeing him up close during the India and Australia series. Arun further added.
“We also had conversations about how you should play to your strengths, especially in hot and humid conditions. How you can conserve your energy. Once you had an idea of the conditions and focused on your strengths, the result was that everyone saw“He concluded.
Mitchell Starc will be next in action during the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and United States. The team led by Mitchell Marsh is grouped with Oman, England, Namibia and Scotland. The team will begin their campaign with a match against Oman on June 5 in Barbados.
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