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In a historic move during the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction held in Dubai, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) shattered records by acquiring Australian pacer Mitchell Starc for a staggering sum of INR 24.75 crore. The bidding war for Starc unfolded between KKR and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), ultimately culminating in the Knight Riders securing the services of the left-arm fast bowler.
Gautam Gambhir’s insight
Gautam Gambhir, the mentor of Kolkata and former captain who returned to the franchise in a mentoring role, shed light on the rationale behind the formidable bid for Mitchell Starc. Present at the auction, Gambhir elaborated on the strategic thinking that led KKR to break all barriers and secure the Australian pacer.
Gambhir emphasized Starc’s status as the X-factor for KKR in the upcoming IPL 2024 season. In a conversation with Jio Cinema, Gambhir praised Starc’s versatility, citing his ability to bowl with the new ball, execute death overs, and most importantly, lead the bowling attack. The mentor expressed confidence that Starc’s inclusion would significantly benefit the domestic bowlers in the KKR squad.
“He is an X-factor, there is no doubt about that. Someone who can bowl with the new ball, bowl in the death overs and more importantly, someone who can lead the attack,” said Gambhir in a chat with Jio Cinema.
Starc, who last participated in the IPL in 2015, was previously acquired by KKR for INR 9.40 crore in the 2018 auction. Having also played for RCB in the league, Starc boasts a commendable record of 34 wickets in 27 matches.
Also READ: Kolkata Knight Riders full squad: Complete list of KKR players after IPL 2024 auction
Strategic depth and combinations
Drawing from his successful captaincy tenure with KKR, where he led the team to two IPL titles, Gambhir highlighted the importance of a robust bowling lineup. In his view, a strong bowling attack takes precedence over a formidable batting order. Gambhir listed the abundance of options in KKR’s bowling arsenal, including Mujibur Rahman, Gus Atkinson, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Mitchell Starc, and Indian talents Harshit Rana, Suyash Sharma, and Chetan Sakariya.
Gambhir expressed satisfaction with KKR’s diversified bowling options, emphasizing the strategic advantage of having various combinations tailored to specific stadiums. With a potent mix of international and Indian bowlers, the mentor conveyed his preference for a strong bowling lineup, setting the stage for a competitive IPL 2024 season.
“Starc will be important not only for his bowling but also for leading the bowling attack which will help all the other bowlers. So someone has to pay for it. There is a lot of depth in our bowling line-up. We always wanted a strong bowling attack and now we have a lot of options with Mujibur Rahman, Gus Atkinson, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy and Mitchell Starc and we also have two Indian fast bowlers, Harshit Rana and Suyash Sharma, along with Chetan Sakariya. We now have a lot of options in which we can come up with different combinations looking at the stadium. I always prefer a strong bowling line up rather than a strong batting line up,” added Gambhir.
