Rinku Singh: Australian left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc made his presence felt during Kolkata Knight Riders’ second practice match at the Eden Gardens ahead of IPL 2024. Starc, who returned to the IPL after almost a decade, had to face the powerful batting of Rinku Singh. Including a huge six during the practice game.
Starc’s IPL return
Starc, who last played IPL for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2014 and 2015, joined Kolkata Knight Riders for the upcoming season. Despite being bought by KKR in 2018, he was ruled out of that season due to an injury. This year, KKR broke all-time auction records by acquiring the services of Starc for Rs 24.75 crore with an aim to strengthen their pace attack.
Starc’s anticipation and excitement
Expressing his optimism, Starc acknowledged the excitement of returning to “the best T20 league in the world”. He embraced the challenges and the new opportunity to play with new teammates. Despite his past IPL memories being somewhat distant, Starc expressed his eagerness to contribute to KKR’s campaign.
Starc’s performance in the warm-up match
While representing Team Purple in a practice match, Starc displayed his power by troubling the batsmen with his pace and bounce. He bowled with intensity, generating uneven bounce from the sluggish Eden Gardens wicket. Despite giving away some runs, Starc managed to take important wickets, including a brilliant catch of Venkatesh Iyer.
Encounter with Rinku Singh
At the end of the match, Starc had to face the aggressive batting of Rinku Singh. Singh took charge in the final over along with Manish Pandey and hit a powerful six over Starc over midwicket. Despite conceding runs, Starc remained competitive, demonstrating his determination and resilience on the field.
Starc’s overall performance
Despite Rinku Singh’s onslaught, Starc’s overall performance in the practice match was commendable. His spirited bowling and commitment on the field earned him praise from the team management, including two-time IPL-winning captain Gautam Gambhir and head coach Chandrakant Pandit. Starc’s presence adds depth to KKR’s bowling lineup, providing confidence ahead of the tournament opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Observers
The match also caught the attention of former England captain Andrew Flintoff, who watched from the sidelines and exchanged good wishes with the KKR team management. His presence added to the excitement surrounding the warm-up match as the teams prepare for the IPL 2024 season.
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