'Bahut Bada Dhoka': Fans Poke Fun at IPL's Most Expensive Player Mitchell Starc After Expensive Spell Against SRH

Mitchell Starc will quickly want to forget his IPL return after a gap of nine years. The Australia left-arm pacer, bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for an astronomical sum at the IPL players auction last year, bowled an expensive spell of four overs that allowed Sunrisers Hyderabad to bounce back in what turned into a high-scoring contest at the Eden Gardens on Saturday night.

Starc became the most expensive player in IPL history when two-time champions KKR shelled out a jaw-dropping Rs 24.75 crore to secure his signature. The amount was a clear indication how high the franchise rate the Aussie speedster and therefore, there were expectations that he will start delivering right from the word go.

Starc’s first IPL outing since 2015 didn’t go as he would have wanted to be. He finished with bowling figures of 0/53 from four overs with Heinrich Klaasen and Shahbaz Ahmed taking him to the cleaners in the death overs.

Unsurprisingly, fans on social media were quick to poke fun at Starc’s expense.

KKR though heaved a sigh of relief as young pacer Harshit Rana held his nerves to defend 13 runs besides getting rid of both Klassen and Shahbaz as the home team escaped with a four-run win to kickstart their IPL 2024 campaign.

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KKR captain Shreyas Iyer admitted to have been nervous in the death overs considering the way Klaasen, who scored a quickfire half-century, was exclusively dealing in sixes.

“Right from the 17th over, had butterflies in my stomach. Felt anything could happen in the last over. They needed 13 runs and we didn’t have the most experienced bowler. But I had the belief in him (Rana), and I told him to back himself and it doesn’t matter what happens,” Iyer said at the post-match presentation.

KKR now return to action on March 29 when they take on Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.