'Got paid big bucks for good reason' - Mitchell Starc's critics destroyed by Kevin Pietersen as pacer shines in Qualifier 1

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen feels that Mitchell Starc justified his price tag last night, thanks to his performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad. 

Mitchell Starc was at his absolute best in the Qualifier 1 match against his countryman Pat Cummins' Orange army. While Travis Head and Cummins remained on the losing side, Starc well and truly enjoyed his return at the Narendra Modi stadium. It is the venue wherein Starc and Head won the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 under Cummins' captaincy. 

The left-arm pacer had an enjoyable night in Ahmedabad as he turned up with his best performance yet in the 2024 IPL edition. Mitchell Starc claimed the Man of the Match award for scalping 3/34 from his quota of 4 overs. With that performance, fans on social media are starting to believe that the Australian is really worth the 24.75 Crores that KKR spent on him during the auctions last year. 

What did Kevin Pietersen say about Mitchell Starc?

While speaking to Star Sports after KKR defeated SRH by 8 wickets, Kevin Pietersen said positive things about Mitchell Starc and his lucrative contract. Pietersen, who has captained the Delhi Capitals and the RCB in his IPL career, claimed that Australians do have a tendency to play very well in the big matches. 

That is the main reason why players like Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins get big money deals to show up on the big stages. KP feels that this is a genuine reason why the Aussies are trusted with that sort of money and they end up delivering for their teams when it matters the most. 

Kevin Pietersen also claimed that Mitchell Starc actually deserves what the Kolkata Knight Riders offered him because he knows how to bowl in big games. 

"Yeah, they (Australian players) are the biggest match players once they get the big bucks paid. They get paid the big bucks for a very good reason. He didn't say that you are gonna pay me the money and I am not gonna give a performance. He won't say I don't know how to bowl, he knows how to bowl. That's the reason why he has got what he has got," Kevin Pietersen said via Star Sports. 

Starc's night started off with the wicket of the dangerous Travis Head in the first over. Then in the 5th over, he bowled a bouncer to get the wicket of all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy for 9 off 10, and in the very next ball, Shahbaz Ahmed got played on for a golden duck. 

Kevin Pietersen believes Starc loves the Narendra Modi stadium 

Kevin Pietersen went on to further add that Mitchell Starc has a deep connection with the Narendra Modi stadium and that he loves the venue. The former England captain highlighted the left-armer's comments about his happiness in bowling at the World's biggest cricket stadium for what Australia achieved over there in 2023. 

"He had said that he was happy bowling here because what Australia did to India 6 months ago. You have certain grounds that you like, Mitchell Starc obviously likes this ground," Kevin Pietersen concluded.