‘No question on Starc’s skills’ - Virender Sehwag reflects on Mitchell Starc’s grand IPL 2024 comeback

Star Australia pacer Mitchell Starc had a roller-coaster season in the IPL 2024 (Indian Premier League). The ace pacer was roped in by Kolkata Knight Riders for a whopping 24.75 core in the auction, making him the most expensive buy in the history of the tournament. 

However, in the early stages of the competition, Starc failed to perform to the peak of his abilities. The 34-year-old was slammed by several batters in the early stages of the season, but he managed to make an exceptional comeback in the knockout rounds and helped his side win their third IPL title. 

Seeing his performances, former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag came forward to talk about how there was never any doubt in Starc’s ability with the ball and how bad games are a part of the sport, but they do not judge how good a player is. 

“When a bid for any player goes too high, it means that the demand for the star is high as well, and when the team gets the big player, that franchise knows the importance of that player. Good and bad games are part and parcel of the game, but it does not mean that one will judge a player based on that. Even batters get ample opportunity, then why not bowlers?” Virender Sehwag told Cricbuzz. 

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The winning mentality in Australian players is evident: Manoj Tiwary

Furthermore, Manoj Tiwary, who was part of the same panel, gave his take on Mitchell Starc’s performances, opining that the Australian winning mentality in the star pacer is evident and that it is something that helps them win the big games and the ICC titles as well.

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“The winning mentality inside Starc is quite evident, not just in Starc but in every Australian cricketer. The Australian stars have a habit of winning trophies, they won the World Test Championship, and won the ODI World Cup 2023, and how he performed in the knockouts of the IPL is a testament to that,” Tiwary concluded.