Virat Kohli, coming off a brilliant 77 against Delhi Capitals, faces a familiar threat from Mitchell Starc, highlighted by Steve Smith. Starc, now with KKR after a record IPL auction purchase, aims to exploit Kohli’s occasional vulnerability outside the off-stump. Smith pointed out that Kohli has been dismissed by left-arm pacers like Shaheen Afridi, Trent Boult, and Mohammad Amir in the past, and Starc’s ability to swing the ball back into the right-hander could pose a similar challenge.
Starc and Kohli were once teammates at RCB, but now they are rivals, with Starc eager to make an impact. Despite conceding 53 runs in his first IPL match for KKR against SRH, Smith believes Starc has the skills to trouble Kohli, especially at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, known for its batting-friendly conditions.
Smith remarked, “I quite like [Starc’s] match-up to Virat, the ability to swing the ball back down the line as a lefty. We have seen him [Kohli] get out on a few occasions to Shaheen Afridi, Trent Boult, Mohammad Amir.” He further highlighted Kohli’s occasional tentativeness against quality left-arm pacers, particularly when the ball is moving.
However, Smith is confident that Kohli will be prepared for Starc’s challenge. Considering Kohli’s stature as one of the best batters in the world, Smith believes the Starc vs. Kohli battle will be the highlight of the RCB vs. KKR clash.
“Starc’s going to swing the ball back down the line early on, I’d imagine, and then use the wobble seam to go across him [Kohli], and potentially try and nick him off,” Smith said. “It’s going to be a good game, and I’m aware Virat would know how Starc’s trying to attack him as well – whether he tries to potentially come down the track [to] just take the swing out of play [we’ll see]. It’s going to be interesting to see how he counters it,” he added.
In conclusion, Smith expects a fascinating battle between Starc and Kohli, with both players likely to have their strategies well thought out for the encounter.
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