"Money is irrelevant, what Starc brings to the team was more important" - Gambhir on record signing being the X-factor [SK Match ki Baat Exclusive] 

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor Gautam Gambhir lauded Mitchell Starc's display at the back end of the tournament, which helped the franchise secure their third Indian Premier League (IPL) title. The Australian left-arm pacer returned with figures of 3-34 and 2-14 in KKR's wins in Qualifier 1 and the final, respectively, against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

In both the aforementioned encounters, Starc struck with the new ball, neutralizing the threat of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma to assert KKR's dominance over the proceedings. The pacer ended the tournament with 17 wickets at an average of 26.12 and an economy rate of 10.61.

The spotlight was firmly placed on KKR and Starc after the former made a record bid of INR 24.75 crore for the pacer. The criticism did not take too long to brew as he conceded 100 runs from his first two matches without taking a single wicket.

Gambhir, however, asserted that the franchise believed in Starc's ability, and banked on the veteran's ability to step up when it mattered the most.

"We had absolutely no doubt that Starc will become the X-factor for us in the tournament. We always knew he was the X-Factor and he will become one at the right time. I mean, what other big matches could be there in the IPL? It was the Qualifier 1 and the Final. That is why I say that the big players wait for such occasions, they thrive on these occasions. Money is irrelevant. What Starc brings to the team was more important," Gambhir said in an exclusive interaction with Sportskeeda.

One of the defining moments in the final came when Starc castled Abhishek Sharma with a brilliant delivery. The dismissal in the very first over helped KKR set the tempo and that played a huge role in restricting SRH to just 113.

"You expect a bowler of this quality to bowl this kind of a delivery. When you bring these kinds of players, they step up when you need them the most. KKR needed Mitchell Starc in the Qualifier 1 and the Final, and he put his hand up and he delivered. I don't know whether I should say that was an unplayable delivery or not, because we were taught that no delivery is unplayable, but it was certainly very close to unplayable," Gambhir said of Starc's delivery

Starc was adjudged as player of the match for his spell with the new ball.

"There was not a single day in the KKR dressing room where we made Starc feel that he did not start off the tournament well" - Gambhir

As mentioned earlier, the pundits and fans were quick to turn their back on Starc as he struggled in the first half of the tournament. A four-wicket haul against the Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede truly marked a turning point for the left-arm pacer, eventually leading to unforgettable spells in the knockout stages.

"It does not matter what anyone says about Starc, it does not matter what is being said on social media. You should not feel bad about what is being said as well, because the experts judge you on the basis of your performance, that is their job. According to me, what is being said in the dressing room, and how you feel in the dressing room is important," Gambhir said

"It is the experts' job, you cannot take that in a bad way, there is no need for it, honestly. If you score 0, then they will criticize you, and if you score a 100, the same people will praise you. Some people criticize less, some criticize more, and that depends on their thought process. There was not a single day in the KKR dressing room where we made Starc feel that he did not start off the tournament well," Gambhir concluded

Starc will next be seen at the 2024 T20 World Cup for Australia along with the usual suspects, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. The Men in Yellow have been drawn alongside England, Namibia, Oman and Scotland in the group stages.