KKR broke the bank for the Australian southpaw Mitchell Starc for a whopping Rs 24.75 crores making him the costliest player in IPL history since its inception. Will Starc’s arrival change the fortunes of KKR In IPL 2024?
Presented by Raghunath Nair
Introduction
With a base price of INR 2 crores, Mitchell Starc from Australia was the most sought-after player in the mini auction 2024. He and Pat Cummins were the star attraction from the list of players in the auction pool. Teams wanting to have a stronger bowling squad had set their eyes on the two Australians.
One of the challenges in the mini-auction 2024 was the limitation of the auction purse available to each franchise team. Gujarat Titans had the biggest purse while Sunrisers Hyderabad had the least amount for the auction.
As expected the Aussie duo Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins made the biggest noise and became the top two biggest buys in the history of the IPL auction.
When Pat Cummins name came up for the auction first, a bidding war saw Pat Cummins go to Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 20.5 Cr. making him the costliest player in IPL history till then. His record however stood only for a few minutes when Mitchell Starc was grabbed by KKR for INR 24.75 Cr.
Eyebrows were raised due to the mind-boggling auction price for the Australian new ball bowler as KKR spent 25% of their entire purse to buy the Australian star. This was his first season in the IPL in 8 years.
Also Read: Top Players Who Rocked the IPL 2024 Auction Table
Starc’s Journey to KKR
Mitchell Starc last played for RCB in 2015. There was an obvious interest shown by the RCB franchise to buy the Australian player again. Unfortunately, due to the budget constraint, RCB backed out midway through the auction. Other contenders like Gujarat Titans went hammer and tongs for the Australian but KKR managed to win the prized auction buy.
Starc’s bowling records
Mitchell Starc has taken 34 wickets in the 27 IPL games he has played with an economy rate of 7.16. A two-time ODI World Cup winner and the 2021 T20 World Cup winner, the credential of the fast bowler was never in question.
KKR’s Historical Performance in the IPL
KKR became IPL champions in 2012 beating Chennai Super Kings in the final. They won the IPL championship again in 2014 beating Kings XI Punjab. KKR also holds the record for the longest winning streak in T20 games.
Gautam Gambhir is KKR’s leading run scorer while Sunil Narayan is the highest wicket taker for the franchise. KKR were Runners up in the 14th edition of the IPL going down to Chennai Super Kings in the finals.
Here are the five records of KKR in IPL history
- Most runs in Power Play. 105 runs in 6 overs against RCB in the 2017 season.
- Highest partnership for the 5th wicket- 135 runs in 85 balls against Gujarat Lions in the 2016 season
- Highest successful run chase in IPL finals- 200 against Kings XI Punjab in the 2014 season.
- Joint best strike rate by a bowler in an innings- 4 wickets for 5 runs with strike rate of 1.5 against Gujarat Titans in 2022 season.
- Longest winning streak in T20 – 10 games in the 2015 season.
The Starc Effect: What Changes for KKR
Mitchell Starc will be lethal at the Eden Gardens for KKR as the home ground conditions will help the south paw with ample assistance with the pitch relayed recently. The reason why KKR went for the Australian for this season was because the KKR bowling unit looked incomplete especially after many of their bowlers were released before the mini auction.
KKR’s pursuit of the Australian also made a statement to KKR’s commitment to build an IPL winning team. Only time will tell whether the gamble of buying such an expensive player was worth it.
KKR’s pace attack, lacked a genuine spear head and Mitchell Starc with his pace, swing and wicket taking prowess fills that gap. The price tag was astronomical and pushed the boundaries of IPL economics clearly showing KKR’s intent for championship aspirations. Starc currently at the top of his game would attract sponsors and general fan engagement which will help the KKR finances in the long run.
The Competition: IPL 2024 KKR Team Analysis Teams Analysis, Challenges and Opportunities
KKR team after Chennai and Mumbai could be rated as the next powerhouse in the IPL. The team historically had very good all-rounders and this year too they have very good all-rounders in their team. Shreyas Iyer will captain the team and hope to win the tournament for the third time for the team from the East of India.
Undoubtedly KKR was the busiest team in the IPL 2024 mini-auction. While they purchased ten players in the auction, they will still not be the happiest franchise after the auction. Many slots remained unfilled and this could haunt the team during the competition.
KKR went into the auction after pressing the reset button to give a fresh look to the KKR squad and to help them achieve this task they also roped in 2023 Lucknow Super Giants’ mentor Gautam Gambhir to the KKR camp as their new mentor.
KKR team dynamics
A total amount of INR 31.35 crores was spent in the mini auction to buy the 10 players. This was the highest number of players bought compared to other teams in the mini-auction. Even after spending the most on a single player, did they Err?
Before the Auction, big names like Lockie Ferguson, Shardul Thakur, Tim Southee, etc. were among the twelve players released by the franchise. So, did the incoming ten players correct the gaps in KKR who are desperate to make a turnaround in the 2024 season? While they released world-class all-rounders and fast bowlers, they were desperately in need of a lower-order hard-hitting batsman and a backup wicketkeeper.
Mitchell Starc is the biggest gamble KKR has taken for the season, as the southpaw is known for frequent breakdowns and will also be making a comeback after a long break of eight years. While he may be effective as a new ball bowler, KKR does not have a matching new ball partner for Mitchell Starc. They will still look to make the Eden Gardens a spinning one which will play to their strength as they have some quality spin bowlers.
KKR still hasn’t filled the gap of a late-order finisher to complement Andre Russell.
While they have enough backups for their foreign players, they are over-relying on Mitchell Starc to play all the games in the season which looks highly improbable.
The franchise should have opted for a hard hitter instead of KS Bharath who may not find a place in the playing 11.
A feather in the cap of the franchise is that KKR boasts one of the best coaching staff amongst all teams.
Conclusion
Considering KKR team dynamics, KKR has the potential to make a mark in the 2024 tournament as per the IPL 2024 predictions. While the overall team combination is unconventional compared to other teams, it still looks good on paper.
Even after their record-breaking purchase of Mitchell Starc, the fast-bowling unit is their weaker link. Fans can expect a good turnaround in their team’s performance as compared to their poor 2023 performance. All teams will be keen to see what the Bowling Strategies for KKR will be.
Also Read: Before the Mini Auction : Top 10 Most Expensive Buys Expected in Mini IPL 2024 Auction
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