Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan criticized Australian pacer Mitchell Starc for the way he bowled against the Rajasthan Royals in the 31st match of the Indian Premier League 2024 season.
The 50-year-old two-time World Cup winner, who won his second last year against India at the Narendra Modi Stadium, was taken to the cleaners in front of the home fans at the Eden Gardens stadium. Starc was one of the main reasons why KKR could not win the match despite getting close to the target.
Mitchell Starc was bought by KKR management by spending a huge and unseen amount of INR 24.75 crore in Dubai on December 19. However, the left-arm fast bowler has not returned a single penny of the amount paid by the franchise.
It is unknown if Starc will return to his best this season, but one thing is certain: if things continue the same, it will be a very long season for the Australian.
Another reason behind his drop in form could be the fact that Mitchell Starc is playing in the IPL after a gap of 8 years; his previous appearance was in the 2015 season for RCB. Since then he has not participated in a single season.
While that may be one of the reasons behind their poor form, one cannot ignore the fact that KKR paid more than they could have imagined. Therefore, Starc must try to return to his best level and win the franchise at least 3 or 4 games, if not all the remaining ones.
What did Irfan Pathan say about Mitchell Starc?
Irfan Pathan, who is part of Star Sports’ Hindi commentary team, took to X (formerly Twitter) and took a cryptic dig at the Knight Riders taking direct aim at Mitchell Starc. Pathan had very simple words, “The most expensive player on your team cannot be your weak link.”
There is nothing but facts in his tweet. The player, who after the auctions was considered the most important and strongest link on the team, cannot be the weakest link on the same team. This is almost like a stab in the back, a slap in the face, and a splash of water ruining a beautiful painting on a canvas.
Sign a deal worth over Rs 20 crore only to be beaten by local and foreign batsmen and concede a half-century of runs himself? Is this the Mitchell Starc that KKR bought?
I had Shreyas Iyer and company. lost their matches or were not in the top four, then Mitchell Starc could have faced what Hardik Pandya faces in this season. Anyway, if he wants to leave Kolkata with happy memories, then he must start organizing a change of course now, otherwise it might be too late.