RCB vs KKR: Will Mitchell Starc play today for Kolkata Knight Riders against RCB?

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Mitchell Starc's start as a KKR player wasn't perfect in the IPL 2024. The Australian pacer, who was bought for Rs 24.75 crore, went for plenty of runs in the first match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Starc's figures showed none for 53 in four overs and his final over cost 26 runs as Heinrich Klaasen clubbed him across the ground.

Kolkata Knight Riders managed to leave unscathed in the match courtesy of Harshit Rana and started their season with a 4-run victory. As the Knight Riders take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru today (Friday, March 29), there is a question if Starc will play or not.

Will Mitchell Starc play vs RCB Today?

Mitchell Starc is poised to play against RCB but questions may arise about his selection in the KKR think tank. The Australia pacer made a disappointing start to his life at KKR, and if things go south again, there will be a huge pressure on him.

Starc is playing in the IPL after a gap of eight years, and his T20 stats of late haven't been that encouraging. The price tag already bears a lot of pressure on Starc, as the astronomical figures of his deal will spark questions whenever the player fails to turn up in a match. The M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru provides a deck which is often termed a bowler's graveyard. So if things go wrong again for the Aussie in front of Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and others, the pressure will be enormous.

On the other hand, dropping the Australian will spark doubts in the team management about their trust in him. Starc himself will be looking forward to stamp his authority as soon as possible, as often champion athletes do after a bad day at the office.

All in all, it looks like KKR won't mind playing Mitchell Starc who will also play against his old team, as his previous and only IPL stint was with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. For RCB, the 34-year-old picked up 34 wickets in 27 matches, and he would be hoping to start his second stint in the IPL at the expense of them.