Mitchell Starc, the wizened Australian left-armer, dazzled in the recent Indian Premier League (IPL) at 35 years and 59 days. In doing so, he recorded his maiden T20 five-wicket haul in a match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Starc showcased his prowess by taking 5-35, leading Delhi Capitals to an impressive victory. It celebrates the profound brilliance of his genius way of being. He has now become the oldest seam bowler to take a five-wicket haul in the IPL, and the second-oldest overall after Anil Kumble.
Starc’s brilliant 5-35 haul came in a close win for RCB. It is now the 13th best performance ever by an overseas player and the seventh best by a left-arm seamer. He has a knack for testing batsmen’s technique and has really proved his class by taking eight powerplay wickets in his last four appearances at an exceptional average of 12.1. Though he did allow 8.8 runs per over over this span.
His adaptability and resilience have made this IPL campaign an odyssey of sorts for India’s seasoned bowler. In his first 11 matches of the 2024 season, six of Starc’s wickets came in the powerplay. He made just 42.7 runs, while he gave away 11.1 runs per over. His recent performances indicate an incredible turnaround. He took his first T20 five-wicket haul against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
He broke his own best figures of 4-15, made while in action for Royal Challengers Bangalore versus Kings XI Punjab in 2015. His recent achievement trees him up with the fifth-best figures by an Australian in the IPL. This five-wicket haul is surely one of the most special. It’s just the second time a player from the Delhi franchise has done this in the tournament’s 13-year history.
In looking back on his performance, Mitchell Starc offered some valuable perspective on the difficulties for bowlers in T20 cricket.
“There’s not many egos in bowlers in T20 cricket – you’re hanging on for dear life sometimes – so it was nice to contribute today,” – Mitchell Starc
Starc’s comments are a microcosm of the evolution of T20 cricket and the need for bowlers to adjust their focus.
“As a bowler you have to think outside the box a lot more now with how the scores are trending. You have to do things you normally wouldn’t and try to find a little bit of leeway against the batters.” – Mitchell Starc
His allround contribution would prove absolutely pivotal for the Delhi Capitals. It brought them only a narrow success against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, it underlined his continuing importance and influence within the league.
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