Gautam Gambhir is engaging in some serious discussions with Mitchell Starc regarding his performance, as revealed by Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) bowling coach, Bharat Arun. Despite Mitchell Starc’s lacklustre bowling performances in the IPL 2024, Bharat Arun is standing by him, expressing his belief that it’s only a matter of time before Starc returns to his best form in the ongoing tournament.
While KKR has secured victories against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their first two matches, Starc has yet to justify his significant price tag, despite the team’s success in the tournament.
Starc, the veteran Australian pacer, clinched the title of the costliest player in the IPL when KKR acquired him for a whopping Rs 24.75 crore in last year’s auction. The left-arm pacer made a much-anticipated return to the tournament after a nine-year hiatus, with expectations high for him to lead the inexperienced pace bowling attack.
However, the 34-year-old struggled in his first two outings, conceding 53 runs in his four overs against Sunrisers Hyderabad and 47 runs in the subsequent match. Disappointingly, he remained wicketless in both games, with figures of 8-0-100-0.
Looking ahead to their upcoming match against the Delhi Capitals, Bharat Arun expressed confidence in Mitchell Starc’s experience and adaptability, foreseeing an improved performance in the forthcoming matches.
He stated, “He is probably one of the most experienced bowlers in the world and also somebody who understands the conditions and adapts to it very well. I think you will see a different version of him in the future games.”
When questioned about his interactions with Mitchell Starc, Arun humorously remarked, ‘Nothing about the price tag, definitely.’ He emphasized ongoing discussions about Starc’s strengths and anticipated his resurgence in form soon. Arun also discussed the challenges posed by the conditions in Visakhapatnam, highlighting the team’s readiness to confront any situation with both spinners and pacers available to address varying conditions.
“The biggest challenge for us would be to understand and adapt to conditions. We are up for anything. It is the same surface for both the teams. The pitch keeps changing like the weather. We have good options. We have extra spinners and quality pacers in the middle. Depending on the conditions tomorrow, we will select the team,” Arun concluded.
KKR is scheduled to face the Delhi Capitals in their upcoming match at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, April 3. The Delhi Capitals, led by Shreyas Iyer, have secured just one victory out of three matches.
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