NEW DELHI, May 18 (Reuters) - Delhi Capitals head coach Hemang Badani hailed Mitchell Starc as a role model after the left-arm pacer produced a match-winning performance to keep their Indian Premier League (IPL) playoff hopes alive.
Starc's 4-40 restricted visitors Rajasthan Royals to 193-8 and Delhi coasted to a five-wicket victory with four balls to spare at their Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday.
Delhi are seventh in the 10-team league, one point behind fourth-placed Punjab Kings with one regular-season match to go.
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru have already booked their place in the playoffs where three more teams will join them.
"He is possibly one of the best role models anyone can have in sport," Badani said after Delhi picked up their sixth win in 13 matches.
"His work ethic, his preparation before the game, his own plans and his training are above par. I don't see that even with a lot of the younger boys. That is the reason why he has sustained for so long."
While Badani admired the skill set of Australia's pace spearhead, he was even more impressed with how the 36-year-old has mentored Delhi's young bowlers this season.
"He is always trying to pass on knowledge - how can you do reverse swing, how do you hold lengths, what do you do when a batter is going hard ..."
One of the best fast bowlers of his era, Starc had to wait for his IPL debut this season as he dealt with shoulder and elbow injuries, and he has only played five matches.
In a season where flat pitches and short boundaries have led to ballooning totals, the Australian said staying grounded was crucial to survive such batter-friendly conditions.
"That's the beauty of T20. Games come around so quickly, you can't really get too low if things haven't gone the way you wanted, and likewise you can't get too high if things have gone fantastic," Starc said.
"I think that's the key - staying pretty level. As a bowler, you've got to put the ego aside a lot of the time because the scores can be a bit inflated."
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; editing by Peter Rutherford)
