"Mitchell Starc finally brought his World Cup version to IPL" - Fans hail KKR pacer for sensational opening spell vs SRH in Qualifier 1

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacer Mitchell Starc produced a terrific opening spell to stun the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Qualifier 1 in Ahmedabad on May 21. The 34-year-old was bought for the highest-ever price of ₹24.75 crore in IPL history during the last auction.

Starc failed to meet expectations in the league stage with only 12 wickets in as many games. Yet, come the big match, the Aussie pacer was right on the money, picking up three crucial wickets inside the powerplay.

He cleaned up the in-form Travis Head off the second ball of the contest to set the ball rolling. Starc bowled an extended spell with his third over on the bounce, the fifth of the match, and removed Nitish Reddy and Shahbaz Ahmed in the final two balls to leave SRH reeling at 39/4.

He finished his first spell with excellent figures of 3/22 in 3 overs to put KKR on top in the marquee encounter.

Fans on Twitter hailed Starc for stepping up to the party in a crunch match, with the below reactions:

Fans continued to shower praise at Starc with one saying:

"Mitchell Starc shows why he was sold out for 25.75 cr."

"Mitchell Starc is most lethal In Knockout matches. He got 3 wickets in just three over with economical spell and missed one due to drs not taken," tweeted a fan.

"Can’t believe Starc is turning up in the qualifiers after bottling in whole league . Peak Aussie mentality, showing up when it matters most. Unreal," a fan said.

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SRH stage an impressive recovery after Starc's game-changing spell

SRH looked down and out after Mitchell Starc's opening burst at 39/4 in five overs. However, a brilliant recovery from Rahul Tripathi and Heinrich Klaasen helped SRH recover to parity at 92/4 in 10 overs.

The duo brought up their half-century partnership in only 28 balls, mixing watchful batting with aggression. Tripathi brought up his maiden half-century off 29 deliveries to breathe life into SRH's innings.

Just as SRH began to accelerate, they lost the massive wicket of Klaasen for 32 off the bowling of Varun Chakaravarthy.

As things stand, SRH are 101/5 in 11 overs, with Abdul Samad joining Rahul Tripathi.

The winner of the ongoing clash will advance to the final, while the loser will play the victor of the match between the Rajasthan Royals and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru tomorrow.