'He is an..' -Gautam Gambhir reveals why KKR paid INR 24.75 crore for Mitchell Starc

The mini-auction for the 17^th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was indeed historical as it saw some historical bids. One such buy was Australia’s premier pacer Mitchell Starc, who was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Gautam Gambhir, who is currently serving as the mentor for KKR, has offered a reason for the substantial purchase of Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc at the IPL 2024 auction. Starc was roped in by the franchise for a record sum of ₹24.75. In his explanation, Gambhir highlighted the significance of Starc's addition to the team.

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The former India opener described the left-arm bowler as possessing an X-factor and emphasized that Starc would serve as the leader of the team's bowling attack. Starc set a new record as the highest-priced player in IPL auction history, with KKR spending such a hefty amount for his acquisition. He surpassed his Test and ODI captain, Pat Cummins, who had previously been bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for ₹20.50 crore.

"He (Starc) is an X-factor, there is no doubt about that. Someone who can bowl with the new ball, bowl in the death overs and more importantly, someone who can lead the attack. He is going to be of massive help to our two domestic bowlers because both of them are very talented and you need someone to help them out in the middle and Starc covers those bases. It is not only about his bowling but also about leading the attack and helping all the guys around him. So, somebody will have to pay for it," Gambhir said speaking to JioCinema. 

For me, KKR is not a team, it is an emotion: Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir's comeback to the franchise for the 2024 IPL signifies his return to the team he successfully captained to title victories in 2012 and 2014. Gambhir even reflected on his return to KKR and described the team as an emotion due to the immense love received during his seven-year captaincy. The former India captain expressed his aspiration to recreate the memorable successes of 2012 and 2014.

"For me, KKR is not a team, it is an emotion. The reason is the amount of love that I have received from the people of Kolkata for the seven years that I led them and, hopefully, I led them with a lot of honesty. Hopefully, we can recreate the same memories that we did in 2012 and 2014. There is no guarantee that we will go out and win but there is one guarantee for sure, that we will fight till the last drop of our blood,” Gambhir concluded.