Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) fast bowler Mitchell Starc praised his franchise captain, Shreyas Iyer, after the final victory over SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. Mitchell Starc described Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy as fantastic in the recently concluded T20 tournament.
Shreyas Iyer returned to lead the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024 after missing last year’s tournament due to injury. The middle-order batter led the team to finish at the top of the points table after the league stage. He helped the Knight Riders beat SunRisers Hyderabad twice in the playoffs to secure the title.
The Kolkata team recorded a comfortable eight-wicket victory in the summit clash at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, May 26. The KKR team successfully chased down a 114-run target in just 10.4 overs. Following the win, the Knight Riders recorded their third title in the history of the tournament.
Mitchell Starc spearheaded the Kolkata Knight Riders bowling attack in the final match. The left-arm pacer dismissed crucial batters, Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi, in the power play. He ended with bowling figures of 2/14 in three overs and secured “Player of the Match” for his outstanding performance.
His Captaincy Has Been Fantastic – Mitchell Starc
Mitchell Starc highlighted Shreyas Iyer’s level-headedness and calm demeanor in his captaincy, even in challenging situations. However, Starc humorously suggested that Iyer might need to work on his coin-toss skills in the off-season.
“To see him go about his captaincy has been fantasitic. He’s pretty level-headed and pretty calm, even when things haven’t gone our way. He may need to work on his coin-toss in the off-season,” Starc said.
Starc was also instrumental in the Knight Riders’ victory in Qualifier 1 against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The left-arm pacer picked up three wickets for 34 runs in his full-over quota. Starc received the “Player of the Match” award in the playoff match. He is the only cricketer to be named POTM twice in the playoffs.
The veteran pacer was acquired by the Knight Riders for Rs 24.75 crore in last year’s mini-auction. The 34-year-old fast bowler faced challenges in the IPL 2024 league stage after his return in 2015. Starc is keen to return for IPL 2025 after thoroughly enjoying the 17th season.
Played Like Invincibles Throughout The Season – Shreyas Iyer
After winning the title, captain Shreyas Iyer stated that his team played like “invincibles” throughout the season. Shreyas highlighted the team’s flawless performance from the beginning of the IPL 2024 season.
“Absolutely comprehensive. This is what we demanded from the team and every individual. They stood up to the right occasion and the feeling is hard to express. It (wait) was so long, longer than the match. We played like invincibles throughout the season,” Shreyas said during the post-match presentation.
“There’s so much to cherish right now. It is pleasing, the performance has been flawless throughout. I am running out of words right now. We have been tremendous from game one, we stepped up today. All we demanded from ourselves was to back each other whatever the situation is,” he added.
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