Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have replaced Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc with Sri Lankan seamer Dushmantha Chameera for their match against Punjab Kings at the Eden Gardens on Friday. KKR captain Shreyas Iyer revealed at the toss that Starc had sustained a finger injury during their previous encounter against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
Starc’s IPL campaign with KKR has been underwhelming so far. Despite being acquired for a record sum of INR 24.75 crore (USD 2.98 million approx.) at the auction, he has managed only six wickets while conceding runs at an alarming rate of 11.48 per over.
In the match against RCB, Starc was entrusted with the responsibility of bowling the final over, tasked with defending 21 runs. However, he was ruthlessly targeted by No. 9 batsman Karn Sharma, who smashed three sixes off his bowling. Starc eventually managed to take a return catch to seal the victory, but his figures of 1 for 55 from three overs were far from impressive.
This was the third time this season that Starc has conceded 50 or more runs in a game, including the second consecutive match. His best performance came against Lucknow Super Giants in a day game at Eden Gardens, where he claimed three wickets and conceded only 28 runs.
Starc is making his return to the IPL after an eight-year hiatus. His last appearance in the tournament was in 2015 for RCB, where he took 20 wickets at an economy rate of 6.76.
In an interview ahead of the match against Kings, Starc did not mention his finger injury. Instead, he spoke about his return to the IPL and the lessons he has learned from the experience.
“Coming back, obviously a different team to where I was last in the IPL, so getting to meet a lot of the guys I have played against a little bit… Some younger guys in the KKR squad, getting to know a few of the younger bowlers,” he said. “There’s a lot of talent around with bat and ball.”
“I’m getting to know how these guys go about it and learn from them as well, and try and answer any questions they’ve got. I’ve come back an older player than when I was last in the IPL, but it’s a lot of fun.”
For Chameera, this will be his first appearance of the season. It is his second stint in the IPL, having played for RCB in 2022.
