Kolkata Knight Riders fast bowler Mitchell Starc.
| Photo Credit: ANI
After a slow start to the season, Mitchell Starc hit top gear in the climactic phase of the IPL, returning match-winning performances in both the Qualifier 1 and final to help Kolkata Knight Riders clinch its third title.
The 34-year-old, who has not played many T20s in the last few years, spoke about taking time to find his rhythm and delivering on the big stage.
“I haven’t played a lot of T20 cricket in the last few years. So, it was about trying to find that rhythm of the format, and staying ahead of batters,” said Starc.
Elaborating on his work with bowling coach B. Arun, someone he knew from their time at Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the left-arm pacer said: “It wasn’t technical. It was probably a bit more tactical; there were suggestions for trying different things. Certainly, for batters I hadn’t seen or knew much about, I was going to him [Arun] or Shreyas [Iyer] or GG [Gautam Gambhir] with that sort of thing.”
“I’m on the more experienced side. So, it’s not a technical thing. Arun might suggest things here or there Glad to have made an impact when it mattered the most,” he added.
In a year when batters have taken the game to a new level, with record-high totals, Starc spoke about how the key to success was to stay level-headed.
“I think T20 is a great leveller. You can have some good days, and two days later, you can have a shocking day,” said the Australian pace spearhead.
Returning to the IPL after nine years, Starc became the costliest buy in the league’s history at ₹24.75 crore, but the speedster said the price tag didn’t bother him.
“You don’t need extra motivation. I am here as an overseas [player], and it’s [for] nights like tonight or the last game that I have been picked. I mean, there’s been jokes throughout, and there’s been friendly banter about price tags and what not. It doesn’t bother me too much. I think the pressure of being an overseas player or price tag, you expect that coming to the best domestic league in the world. It’s our job to perform or set an example to younger players.”
“I am closer to the end of my career than the start. One format may drop off, there’s a long time before the next ODI World Cup, and whether that format continues for me or not, it may open doors for more franchise cricket.”