Starc Finds Rhythm, KKR Eye Royals Challenge

Mitchell Starc is not a reader, particularly when it comes to the pressure he faces due to his Rs 24.75 crore IPL price tag. But on Sunday at Eden Gardens, Starc bowled like the real Starc, as his 3/28 was vital to the Kolkata Knight Riders' convincing eight-wicket victory over the Lucknow Super Giants.

KKR needed the left-arm speedster to get back into rhythm ahead of Tuesday's highly anticipated matchup against the table-topping Rajasthan Royals.

It's more important to become acquainted to the tactical side of things in this style. It's taking me a little longer than I would have liked to get back into the swing of things and have a little influence since I haven't played a lot of T20 cricket in the past few years.

"Thus, Sunday was pleasant in that aspect," Starc remarked during the press conference.

That's how Twenty20 cricket operates. Games come around so fast, whether you're having a good or bad day, that you can't really reflect on where you went wrong because you have to concentrate on the next one right away.

Starc, who proved effective with the short ball against Lucknow, thought the two-bouncer rule in the IPL was a nice addition. "I think I underbowled the bouncer."

"Depending on the pace and bounce of the wicket, conditions probably dictate that sometimes, but I'm sure it will develop through the rest of the tournament," Starc remarked.

Talk in pitch

Following the game, Shah Rukh Khan, the major owner of KKR, chatted with curator Sujan Mukherjee and had some "positive things to say" about the Eden pitch. "I also informed Shah Rukh that your players will only talk about the surface if KKR doesn't win. "No, they just demand, but you've been doing as you wish to," he said. But it was all done in a lighthearted manner, Mukherjee remarked.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.