Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra reckons Kolkata Knight Riders might be over-dependent on the shoulders of Mitchell Starc. KKR broke the bank for the Australian seamer as they brought him for a whopping amount of INR 24.75, making him the costliest player in the history of the IPL.
Starc last played in the IPL in 2015 for Royal Challengers Bangalore and it will be interesting to note how he will fare out. The gun fast bowler has scalped 34 wickets in 27 IPL matches at an average of 20.38 and an economy rate of 7.17.
Barring Mitchell Starc, KKR has two overseas all-rounders in Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, who pick themselves in the final XI.
Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel, “They have bought Mitchell Starc for such a huge price. So they will play him for sure. When you make their XI, you will have an overseas opener, and then Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, which means you can play an overseas fast bowler.”
“You will not play Dushmantha Chameera there. You are going to play Mitchell Starc for sure. Why else would you have paid him close to 25 crores? However, there could be an over-dependence on Mitchell Starc,” the former KKR player added.
The renowned commentator added that Harshit Rana and Andre Russell’s bowling doesn’t give him enough confidence.
“He will have Harshit Rana alongside him. I like him, he has a lot of upside, but he is not a finished product yet. Andre Russell’s bowling is 50-50, as you know already. So their potential over-dependence on Mitchell Starc in fast bowling bothers me a little, that will it become a weakness?” he stated.
The former KKR player added that the franchise could land in trouble if Eden Gardens’ pitch doesn’t assist the spinners.
“The second thing is that if Eden Gardens doesn’t have pitches that suit them, it could become a potential weakness. If the home pitches are not turning and are favorable for fast bowling, it will go against them,” he said.
“It happened last year with Lucknow. Gautam (Gambhir) was also there. If the same thing happens here, then he will be very disappointed. That could be a potential setback if that happens. Eden Gardens guys – prepare a turning pitch,” the reputed commentator added.
KKR will begin their IPL 2024 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on March 23.
