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The only striking image of Starc’s comeback season in the IPL so far, one would say, was him exploding into an almighty roar after clearing Gerald Coetzee’s stumps in his 4/33 spell against the Mumbai Indians in the Wankhede Stadium on May 4. That was also his first real display of emotion in the colors of the Kolkata Knight Riders, and his first appearance of any significance.

It turns out that both Cummins and Starc will get the chance to strike an indelible pose with the diamond-encrusted IPL trophy later tonight (May 26) (as reported by the Sunrisers captain himself at Marina Beach in the social media- clip with Iyer). at Chepauk Stadium in Chennai.

Their respective journeys to the grand final, on an individual level, were in many ways as contrasting as the pace duo who got their multi-million IPL deals in the first place.

It’s safe to say that it’s quite subjective whether Starc has indeed justified the high purchase costs thus far. Although it hasn’t been an easy start, as has been well publicized over the past month and a half, the New South Welshman has started to find his wicket-taking rhythm in recent weeks. Some might say he was worth that sum just for the match-winning burst with the new ball that earned him the Player of the Match award in the Kolkata Knight Riders’ Qualifier win over the Sunrisers last week. What we haven’t seen at any stage of KKR’s season is even a hint of buyer’s remorse, and if anything they’ve backed Starc to the hilt.

They say in pro wrestling that if you want to make someone a star, you first have to give them the star treatment. And that’s what Starc deserves, even during the lean phases at the start of the season. Whether it concerns bringing their major purchase to the attention of only a limited audience in terms of off-field promotions or even that one clip on Instagram featuring Starc in full flight with ball in hand with AC DC’s legendary opening riff Highway to hell playing in the background.

Like Starc, who has 15 wickets at 28.66 and an economy of 11.07 in 13 matches, Cummins, with 17 wickets at 32.23 and an economy of 9.28, hasn’t really set the tournament on fire with the ball.

Yet it is much clearer the impact Cummins has had in Hyderabad. Not least by taking last season’s wooden spooners to second place in the table at the end of the league stage, followed by a knockout win against Rajasthan Royals to earn the Sunrisers a place in the final. He has also had a calming effect on an otherwise volatile franchise, which has undergone a number of changes at the top over the years, both in terms of captaincy and coaching staff. As with the Australian team, he has also created an environment in the dressing room where different characters can be themselves and increase variety rather than shy away from it. And that has allowed both local and foreign players to flourish, while never abandoning their inherent approach to batting and bowling.

Cummins has also delivered some very crucial individual overs at crucial stages to close out matches or turn games around. Through it all, he also won Hyderabad in a very different way than his compatriot, David Warner, had done here as captain when the Sunrisers last reached an IPL final, which they won for good measure.

Go back to the IPL auction in December and it was Cummins who was picked for a tidy sum that looked more like a gamble. For starters, the Australian Test and ODI captain also returned to the IPL after skipping last season. His last few IPL outings had not been the most remarkable, especially with the ball, and despite all the success he had achieved in the other two formats for Australia, he was not quite T20 royalty. Moreover, I have never captained a team in a T20 match.

Sunrisers management, meanwhile, had spoken about the leadership qualities of the incumbent president, Aiden Markram, especially after the South African led the franchise to back-to-back trophy wins in the SA20 competition.

But after finishing bottom last year, the Hyderabad team wanted a leader. And once it was clear that Cummins was available, it seemed only common sense that they would throw the bench at the man who less than a month earlier had guided his country to 50-over World Cup glory on Indian soil. In retrospect, a masterstroke.

Starc, on the other hand, had played a total of just 40 T20s over a period of nine years since his last appearance in the IPL. Most of those for Australia, including three T20 World Cups. By the end of the disappointing home season in the 2022 World Cup, he had even lost his place in the team. But he was still white-ball royalty. And not many were surprised when KKR was willing to bid literally every piece of their auction purse for the left-armed superstar. If they do go for their third title on Sunday evening, it might be a masterstroke in retrospect.

The auction and the final bookend every season of the IPL. Cummins and Starc were the headline stealers on auction day and five months later they are set to be the headline stealers on final night as well. And maybe even Starc might not mind taking a few poses if it ends up being him.

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