IPL 2024: SRH vs KKR, Qualifier 1: Mitchell Starc Won POTM Award: In the Qualifier-1 match of IPL 2024, Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by 8 wickets and confirmed their place in the final. In the match, Hyderabad, batting first, were all out for 159 runs in 19.3 overs. KKR chased the target in just 13.4 overs and won.

The hero of this victory of Kolkata Knight Riders was Mitchell Starc, who took 3 important wickets for the team. Starc was named Player of the Match for his brilliant performance.

Mitchell Starc took three wickets in the powerplay

Sunrisers Hyderabad won the toss and decided to bat first, but it proved wrong. Mitchell Starc had dismissed Travis Head for a duck on the second ball of the first over. Then Starc sent Nitish Kumar Reddy (9) and Shahbaz Ahmed to the pavilion for golden ducks in the fifth over.

Mitchell Starc broke the back of Hyderabad’s batting lineup by taking three wickets inside the powerplay, from which the opposition team could not recover. He took 3 wickets for 34 runs in his 4 over spell.

We needed to take early wickets – Mitchell Starc

After winning the title of Player of the Match, Mitchell Starc while talking at the post match presentation said,

We know how important the powerplay is. These were the two teams who have dominated with the bat in the powerplay. We needed to take early wickets. The way Head and Abhishek have been playing throughout the tournament, they like to play with open hands. We just tried to swing the ball and not give them width. Kept the ball stump to stump and attempted a tough length. The spinners were effective and the entire bowling department was excellent. I think I was lucky (to take Head’s wicket), it was good to see him go to the pavilion early, it doesn’t always happen. We have been playing against each other. They (Arora and Harshit) are talented, they train hard. Harshit’s performance this year has been excellent. There is no doubt that he will take many wickets in the IPL and for India too.