An Aussie Icon, fearsome pacer & a genuine match-winner - Mitchell Starc, has reached almost a legendary state in world cricket & continues to build on what has been an incredible career. Born on 30th January, 1990 in Sydney, a young Mitch aspired to be a wicket-keeper at the start of his career. However the tall, lanky youngster was pulled aside from wicket-keeping by his coach & was advised to focus on pace bowling. This move gave Australian Cricket one of their best pacers, who went on to fill the shoes of the legendary Mitchell Johnson.
Starc made his New South Wales debut, at just 19 years of age, and started making a reputation for himself. A consistent run in the domestic circuit led to him being picked as a back-up pacer in the Australia test side. However, it took one more year for Mitch to get the iconic baggy green as he made his debut at the Gabba against New Zealand. A young Starc, faced the challenges of International Cricket and didn’t find it easy to perform. However, as they say, ‘You can’t keep a good player down for long’. Starc quickly worked on his skill, picked up his learnings & stormed back into International Cricket. It was the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, where Mitch came of age as he bagged Man of the Series after picking 22 wickets in the tournament. Soon later, he became the leader of the attack in the Test Side, and became a menacing figure for any batter who faced him.
Even though Starc had made a home in the Aussie side, things weren’t easy for him because of the multiple injuries he had to face. Yet, Mitch always found a way to make a resounding comeback. Despite the ups & downs, turbulent initial career & lot’s of injuries, here stands Mitchell Starc with an astonishing 664 International Wickets & a 20 average in every format. Moreover, Starc has been a part of four ICC Trophy wins and has been instrumental to the success of the Australian team.
Mitch moves towards a new chapter in his story as he looks forward to playing in the IPL after 10 years. KKR absolutely broke the bank down for the pacer as he became the most expensive player in the history of IPL Auction. A grand return awaits Starc, as he looks to lead the bowling contingent of KKR and guide young pacers alongside him. He will also be looking forward to working with Gautam Gambhir and the rest of the support staff & making sure his performances continue to be of the highest quality. Lots of things to look forward to as Mitch returns to the IPL.
