Four Games Does Not Make Him a Bad Bowler! KKR Mentor Backs Mitchell Starc to Make an 'Impact'

Mitchell Starc is the most expensive player in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL), and that is a fact. Kolkata Knight Riders broke the bank to land the signature of the Australian speedster for a whopping INR 24.75 crore.

The reality is though, that the pacer has just taken two wickets at an average of 77 at an economy rate of 11 from four matches.

But mentor Gautam Gambhir feels the returns from the investment on Starc “does not make him a bad bowler”.

“It (his poor stats) doesn’t matter, T20 cricket is all about bowlers getting smashed. We’ve got three wins out of four,” Gambhir said at the pre-match press conference ahead of the clash against Lucknow Super Giants.

Gautam Gambhir emphasised the importance of the team’s success over individual brilliance.

“In a team sport, it’s the wins that matter. We have got three wins out of four. Why should I not be happy with anyone’s performance? See, people have bad and good days, ultimately, it’s the team that needs to win,” Gambhir said.

“And we’ve got decent results in the first four games of the competition. And we all know that how big a threat Mitchell Starc is. Four games doesn’t make him a bad bowler.”

“And four good games doesn’t make him a brilliant bowler either. So I know that what impact he can create and what impact he will create in the competition,” he added.

Stay updated with the latest from IPL 2024, including top contenders for the IPL 2024 Orange Cap and IPL 2024 Purple Cap. Explore the complete IPL 2024 Schedule, IPL 2024 Points Table and players with the Most Sixes, Most Fours and Most Fifties in IPL 2024

Gambhir went on to add that he is sure that Stac will have an “impact” in the coming games..

“Tomorrow it might be a completely different day. Or probably going forward, it could be a completely different day. An individual can have a brilliant performance and the team doesn’t end up winning,” Gambhir said.

“There’s no reason why you should talk about individual performance. I feel that Mitchell Starc has done reasonably okay. I think he’s bowled some tough overs. And he will create an impact, what he’s been picked for,” he added.