"Doesn't bother me" - Mitchell Starc finally breaks silence on criticism over his IPL performance

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pace bowler Mitchell Starc brushed off concerns about criticism regarding his performances in the ongoing IPL 2024. The Australian speedster stressed that his focus is on keeping himself away from the outside noise.

Starc is the most expensive player in IPL history, with the two-time champions, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), signing the Australian speedster for a hefty sum of Rs 24.75 crore at the IPL 2024 auction last year. However, the senior pacer has not yet done justice to his heavy price tag.

Starc had a really poor start to his IPL 2024 campaign with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). However, he managed to deliver some eye-catching bowling shows during Kolkata’s last IPL 2024 match against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Eden Gardens on Sunday, April 14.

Mitchell Starc not bothered by criticism, as he focuses on delivering the best for KKR

He recorded impressive bowling figures of 2/28 in his quota of 4 overs to help the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) restrict the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to a below-par total of 161 for 7. Then, the Purple Army chased down the target in just 15.4 overs with eight wickets in hand.

After KKR’s 8-wicket win over LSG, Starc said that he doesn’t care about the criticism, and he admitted that it will take some time to get into the groove since he hasn't played a lot of T20 cricket in the last couple of years.

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Notably, the tall pacer had taken just 2 wickets in the first 4 matches before showing a glimpse of his form against Lucknow in the ongoing IPL 2024.

Micthell Starc stated after the KKR vs LSG match: “I don't read anything so that doesn't bother me. I haven't played a lot of T20 cricket in the last couple of years, so it's probably taken me a little bit longer than I would have liked to get back into the rhythm of things and make a better impact. So today was nice in that regard.”

Mitchell Starc confident in managing the workload in the IPL 2024

Starc downplayed concerns regarding workload by saying that Test specialists like him are well aware of the demands of T20 cricket. Despite coming from a busy schedule that included the Ashes and ODI World Cup 2023 before making himself available for the IPL 2024, the 34-year-old pacer is confident about managing his workload effectively.

The Australian pacer added, “I'm 34, so I'm pretty good with my workloads. I've been doing this a long time, so that's fine. It's T20 cricket. For the guys that play a lot of Test cricket, this is certainly a lot easier physically. It's probably more getting used to the tactical side of it.”

Reflecting on KKR’s promising start to the season, Starc credited the team's collective effort and said that they look forward to their upcoming matches in the tournament with a positive outlook.

KKR will take on Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their next game in the ongoing IPL 2024 on Tuesday, April 16 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. They are currently sitting in the second spot with 8 points in the point table.