Former Australian captain Steve Smith predicted a fascinating duel between Virat Kohli and Mitchell Starc during the upcoming IPL match between RCB and KKR.
The upcoming match between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on March 29th is set to be spiced up by a fascinating potential duel between Virat Kohli and Mitchell Starc. Steve Smith weighed in predicting the heat between the two, and highlighted the intensity of the match.
This highly anticipated encounter marks Starc’s return to the IPL after a long absence, and the added intrigue lies in the fact that the two players have never faced each other in the tournament.
Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out show ahead of the match, former Australian captain and renowned batter Steve Smith, shared his insights on the potential battle. “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, and Mohammad Amir. So, I quite like the left-handed match-up.”
Smith shared that Starc might attempt to angle the ball away and lure Kohli to play an outside edge at a higher pace. “Starcy’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. It’s going to be a good game, and I’m aware Virat would know how Starc’s trying to attack him as well,” remarked Smith.
However, Steve remained positive about Kohli’s performance. “You obviously learn as you go along, and you understand what players are trying to do to try and get you out. I’m sure he would have seen that [data] and tried to improve on it throughout. So, it’s going to be a nice match-up,” Smith concluded.
Last Updated on March 29, 2024
