KKR pacer Mitchell Starc provided his team with a crucial advantage in the IPL 2024 final against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday. The highly anticipated final is taking place in Chennai, where Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are facing off against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). SRH skipper Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bat first in the decisive match.
SRH’s opening pair consisted of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, who have been consistently scoring throughout the season. However, KKR’s Mitchell Starc, known for his fiery bowling, quickly made his mark. Just like in the first Qualifier against SRH, Starc took a wicket in his very first over. Interestingly, Travis Head did not take the strike to start the innings; instead, it was the young Abhishek Sharma who faced the first ball.
Abhishek Sharma managed to survive a close run-out chance just before being dismissed by Starc on the fifth ball of the over. Starc delivered a perfect good-length ball that swung after pitching, beating Sharma’s bat and crashing into the off stump.
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This early dismissal marked Starc’s fourth wicket inside the powerplay over the last two games for KKR. Starc’s performance in the IPL 2024 has been a tale of two halves. He struggled significantly in the first half of the tournament, proving to be quite expensive. However, in the second half, Starc has found his rhythm, claiming more than 10 wickets within the powerplay alone.
AN ABSOLUTE RIPPER! 🤩
As spectacular as it gets from Mitchell Starc ⚡️
He gets the in-form Abhishek Sharma early 🔥
Watch the match LIVE on @JioCinema and @StarSportsIndia 💻📱#TATAIPL | #KKRvSRH | #Final | #TheFinalCall pic.twitter.com/K5w9WIywuR
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 26, 2024
The matchup between Starc and Head was highly anticipated heading into the final. In a previous encounter, Starc had dismissed Head, and in the very next match, Vaibhav Arora removed Head for a duck, dealing a severe early blow to SRH.
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KKR chose to stick with the same playing XI for the final, showing confidence in Starc’s ability to deliver. This decision paid off as Starc picked up two wickets inside the powerplay once again. Despite losing the toss, KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer had expressed his preference for bowling first, and the team’s strategy has worked in their favor so far.
Starc’s early breakthroughs have set the stage for a thrilling contest, giving KKR a strong start in their quest for the IPL 2024 title. As the game progresses, both teams will be under immense pressure to seize the ultimate glory.
