Delhi Capitals (DC) Director of Cricket Sourav Ganguly opened up about the uncertainty surrounding Mitchell Starc ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. The former captain of Team India expressed his disappointment over the Australian fast bowler not being able to play in the beginning of this prestigious tournament.
Delhi Capitals is awaiting official approval from Cricket Australia before Starc joins captain Axar Patel and the team. The tournament is scheduled to begin on Saturday, March 28 with the match between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Speaking during the Jackson brand endorsement event in New Delhi, Sourav Ganguly said that late withdrawals have a negative impact on franchise teams. He said that with the talent spread across ten IPL teams, it becomes very difficult to find suitable replacements.
“It’s sad… because when quality players don’t come at the last minute, it shakes the balance of the team,” Ganguly said during a brand endorsement.
“It’s sad because I’ve always said that making an Indian team is easier than making an IPL team. Because the best players are available all the time to pick. IPL is 10 teams, and players are distributed. And when quality players don’t come in at the last minute, it obviously shakes the balance of the team.”
It is very difficult to fill the void – Sourav Ganguly on Mitchell Starc
Ganguly said the team relies heavily on its main strike bowlers and losing key international players creates a void that domestic replacements cannot easily fill.
“Because the options, the availability is not as strong as someone who has not come… but in the IPL if Mitchell Starc misses or Pathirana misses, it is very difficult to fill the void. So that is one of the challenges.”
Sourav Ganguly admitted the physical and mental toll of professional cricket. The Delhi Capitals director of cricket said there is a need to carefully manage players’ workload amid an increasingly congested international calendar.
“Workload management is very important because players play a lot of cricket. It’s not just the IPL…more than the physical, the mental plays a role. Away from home, away from families. It’s never easy. So it’s a balance that will happen.”
Mitchell Starc retired from T20 Internationals ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. With him missing the initial IPL matches, Delhi Capitals will be relying on South African fast bowler Lungi Ngidi to lead their bowling attack.
Delhi Capitals also signed Kyle Jamieson and Auqib Nabi Dar along with retained bowlers Dushmantha Chameera and T Natarajan to strengthen their squad in the auction.
Also Read: “Mumbai Indians are going to win it” – Former England captain makes bold prediction for IPL 2026
