Australian pacer Mitchell Starc was bought for Rs 24.75 crore by the Kolkata Knight Riders during the auction last year in Dubai.

New Delhi: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Chandrakant Pandit revealed that Mitchell Starc is looking a lot better now after the Australian pacer missed their IPL 2024 match against Punjab Kings due to a finger injury. In the absence of Starc, Sri Lankan pacer Dushmantha Chameera made his debut for KKR. However, a call on Starc will be taken only after watching him perform at the nets on the match day. KKR will be taking on Delhi Capitals at Eden Gardens on Monday.

“He is looking better now. He has recovered well. We will watch him in the nets and then take a call (about his availability),” Pandit told reporters on the eve of the matchday. Meanwhile, bought for a record fee of Rs 24/75 crore in the auction last year, Starc hasn’t been at the top of his performances this season and leaked a lot of runs.

In seven matches he has played so far, Starc picked up just six wickets in IPL 2024 so far at an economy of 11.48. His best show in the season came against Lucknow Super Giants at home when he took 3/28. Keeping Starc aside, the home side has some positives to look up to. Sunil Narine’s sensational form with the bat — 357 runs from eight matches with two fifties and one century — has given a thrust to their batting up the order this season.

Narine and Phil Salt have scored bulk of their runs at the top, but the likes of Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Shreyas Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell and Ramandeep Singh will have to chip in with a bit more runs. After this match, KKR will be on the road to face Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants, hence they will be eager to register a win before those tougher assignments and keep themselves in the play-off race.