Australian pace spearhead Mitchell Starc has, over the years, established himself as one of the biggest match-winners in international cricket. No matter how he does in bilateral series or during the group stage games of an ICC tournament, Starc breaking the shackles and activating his 'Big Match Starc' mode and delivering match-winning performances when it matters the most is a guarantee.

After struggling in the first half of the IPL 2024, which concluded on Sunday with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) getting their third title, Starc's reputation as a T20 bowler was subjected to a lot of trolling, questions and memes and many wondered if his hefty price tag of Rs 24.75 crore was worth it. But, the most expensive IPL player in the history delivered when it mattered the most, taking spells of 3/34 and 2/14 in the IPL 2024 qualifier 1 and the final, both against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). In both cases, his fiery powerplay spells set the tone for KKR's dominance.