'If We Lost This...': How Iyer's Pep Talk Inspired Mitchell Starc to Deliver His Best with Wife Alyssa Healy at Stands

Mitchell Starc, the most expensive player in IPL history, was constantly under the pump in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 for inconsistency with the ball. This season marked the Australian pacer’s comeback to the cash-rich league. But a huge price tag seemed to be burdening him with unending expectations as he kicked off the campaign with no wickets in the first two matches. His inconsistency with the ball and death over record became a talking point until Friday night when he shut his critics with a match-winning spell, adding to the woes of Mumbai Indians in the chase of 170.

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Starc returned 4/33 as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) registered their first IPL win at the iconic Wankhede Stadium since 2012. He began his spell by cleaning up Ishan Kishan and went on to concede 26 runs in 3 overs. But the left-arm quick had saved the best for the end.

MI needed 32 off 12 balls when KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer brought Starc into the attack. Given the pacer’s performance so far, his deployment in the 19^th over may not have pleased the fans who were got annoyed even more as Tim David clubbed his on-length delivery over fine leg for a six. In fact, Starc’s wife and Australia women’s team captain, Alyssa Healy was taken aback.

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But Starc has been a match-winner for his country and needed to bowl one good delivery to hit back hard. He bowled a low full toss, David heaved it but didn’t get the elevation and was caught at long-off by Shreyas Iyer. The KKR camp was jubilant but the job was still a little far from done.

Mumbai needed 26 off 10 and Starc nailed a Yorker, catching the toe end of Piyush Chawla. Sunil Narine, at cover, and it was another one for the left-arm pacer; two-in-two for Starc.

The Aussie speedster stuck with his Yorkers and the next one was dodged by his MI counterpart, Jasprit Bumrah very well for a single. Gerald Coetzee got the strike but Starc didn’t change his plan. The South African was late to bring the bat down and another juicy Yorker flattened the middle stump, bundling out MI for 145 with 7 balls to spare.

Starc screamed so did the KKR fans in the stadium. His three wickets in a nearby 19^th over, with someone like a Tim David up against him, certainly shrugged all his failed outings in the past games under the carpet.

Iyer’s pep-talk inspires Starc

KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer revealed the chat he had with Micthell Starc before the game. The pep-talk seems to have done wonders for Kolkata as they ended the 12-year-old win draught at Wankhede.

“Just having a conversation with Starcy. Told him how important this game is for us. If we lost this, would’ve had to win two out of four. Would take this any day. Beautiful victory for us. Hope we could’ve cherished this one,” Shreyas Iyer said at the post-match presentation.

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