Gautam Gambhir lauds Mitchell Starc: Kolkata Knight Riders mentor Gautam Gambhir has praised Mitchell Starc for his stellar performance in the final stages of the tournament, which helped the franchise win its third title. The left-arm pacer took 3 wickets for 34 runs in the Qualifier 1 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad and 2 wickets for 14 runs in the final. In both these matches, Starc bowled brilliantly with the new ball and sent in-form batsmen Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma to the pavilion cheaply.

When KKR bought Starc for 24.75 crores in the auction held before IPL 2024, all eyes were on his performance. Starc was badly beaten in the first two matches, after which the fans also trolled KKR for spending such a huge amount on Starc.

However, Gambhir, while speaking to Sportskeeda, said that the franchise had faith in Starc's ability and was confident that a big player like him would perform well in big matches.

Gautam Gambhir calls Mitchell Starc the X factor

During an exclusive conversation with Sportskeeda, Gambhir said, 'We had no doubt that Starc would be the X-factor for us in the tournament. We always knew that he is the X-factor and he will be at the right time. I mean, what other big matches can there be in the IPL? It was Qualifier 1 and the final. That's why I say that big players wait for such opportunities, they flourish on such occasions. Money is irrelevant. What Starc brings to the team is more important.'

In the final match, Mitchell Starc bowled Abhishek Sharma with a magical ball and showed him the way to the pavilion. Talking about this ball during the conversation, Gambhir said, 'You expect this kind of bowling. When you bring in such players, they come forward when you need them the most. KKR needed Mitchell Starc in Qualifier 1 and the final and he put his hand up and performed well. I don't know if I should say this or not but it was a ball that could not be played, because we were taught that there is no ball that is not worth playing, but this was definitely not worth playing.'