It is starting to seem like Mitchell Starc’s nightmare comeback to the Indian Premier League will lead to a fantastic conclusion for the pacer from Australia.

Starc, who is 34 years old, started the competition like a man out of his time. He was chased around the field by a new generation of T20 hitters, going for two runs a ball and looking for attention every day. He is ending it in prime form, justifying his record $4.43m price tag and blitzing the batters who had blitzed him.

In the qualifying final in Ahmedabad on Wednesday Starc took 3-34, tearing the heart out of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s upper order, to set up an eight-wicket victory for Kolkata Knight Riders and propel them into the final