KKR vs PBKS: Mitchell Starc not playing today against Punjab Kings due to this interesting reason

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KKR vs PBKS: Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) Australia pacer Mitchell Starc was not named in the playing eleven for the match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Eden Gardens on Friday, April 26 due to a finger injury.

Sri Lanka pacer Dushmantha Chameera was named in the KKR playing eleven as his replacement. Kolkata captain Shreyas Iyer informed that the left-arm pacer suffered a cut on his finger while playing the last match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on April 21.

KKR vs PBKS: Mitchell Starc not allowed to strap his wound

Kevin Pietersen, while commentating for JioCinema, revealed that Mitchell Starc would have played but wasn't allowed to strap his wound.

"Starcy got a cut on his finger in the last game, Dushmantha Chameera replaces him. Need a great start and then convert it into a big score, hoping to continue the same form and momentum," Shreyas Iyer said after being asked to bat first by Punjab Kings.

Mitchell Starc, the costliest ever buy (Rs 24.75 crore) in IPL history, has looked extremely off-coloured in the IPL 2024. In seven matches, he has picked just six wickets at an average of 47.83 and an economy rate of 11.48.

Given the task to defend 21 in the final over against RCB, Starc ended up leaking 19 runs. Karn Sharma smashed him for three sixes on the first four deliveries before Starc managed to dismiss him on the fifth. Lockie Ferguson could manage only a single on the final delivery as RCB survived a major scare and managed a 1-run win.

KKR are currently placed second in the 10-team IPL 2024 points table after winning five of their seven matches. A win against Punjab would put them two points ahead of third-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), and fourth-placed Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).