Mitchell Starc dismantled the batting power-house of Sunrisers Hyderabad for 159 and spearheaded two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders to the Indian Premier League final with a crushing eight-wicket win in the playoff on Tuesday. Starc, who had signed for a record-breaking $2.9 million in his IPL return, reserved his best for the big game in the playoff with 3-34 after Hyderabad won the toss but crumbled against the Australian left-arm fast bowler. Kolkata, which topped the points table with nine wins, cruised to 164-2 in just 13.4 overs with captain Shreyas Iyer (58) and Venkatesh Iyer (51) both hitting unbeaten half-centuries.
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