Mitchell Starc on early days in IPL 2024: 'Not the start I wanted, but we've been winning games'

Mitchell Starc became the most expensive buy in IPL history when Kolkata Knight Riders splashed Rs 24.75 crore for his services in December. That massive price tag seemed to play a role on him in the first two matches of IPL 2024. He went without a wicket and conceded 100 runs from eight overs. Things turned around on Wednesday against Delhi Capitals.

With Delhi under the pump chasing 273 runs, Starc made the most of the hosts’ pressured situation. The Aussie seamer struck in his second over, getting Mitchell Marsh to hand a catch at cover point. He then struck in the third over, when he got David Warner to under-edge an attempted cut back to his stumps.

Starc finished with figures of 2/25, a massive improvement over 0/53 and 0/47 in the previous two matches. The seamer admitted it wasn’t the start he was hoping for.

“In a game of T20, we all need a little bit of luck, a few edges go by, a dropped catch or two, that’s T20 cricket,” he said on the host broadcast. “You move on pretty quickly, because the games come thick and fast. Yeah, probably not the start I wanted, but we’ve been winning games, so that’s what it’s about. We’re three-nil. And tonight, with bat and ball, we were pretty good, I think.

“It can be brutal at times, particularly on the bowlers [in T20 cricket]. I think we’ve seen on some of the grounds, some of the scores… so yeah, you take a little bit of luck here and there. Yeah, we’re three-nil at the start of the season, and tonight we were pretty clinical with bat and ball. Personal stuff aside, the team’s start has been fantastic.”

When asked how it felt to dismiss national team compatriots Marsh and Warner, Starc said: “It’s nice to have those ones in the pocket,” with a laugh.

Before Starc could make inroads, Vaibhav Arora created a flutter with the wicket of Prithvi Shaw in the first over. He finished with 3/27 aided by plenty of swing into the right-handers and the occasional bouncer.

“That’s all him, he was fantastic tonight, and I thought he used the short ball really well,” Starc said when asked if he had a role to play in Arora’s success.

“For me, it’s probably more conversations around training, around bowling meetings, when we’re taking on Dave and Mitch, who some of these guys haven’t played before. So just talking a bit around that sort of thing. Just see how they go about their business in the nets, and if they ask questions, just little conversations around that. Certainly not me telling them how to bowl and tonight I thought our whole bowling attack was fantastic,” he added.