Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc will not be able to play at the start of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. The premier left-arm fast bowler informed the Delhi Capitals (DC) management about his unavailability for the first few matches of the tournament starting March 28.
According to a recent report published by cricket.com.au, Cricket Australia (CA) is taking a cautious approach with its bowlers. The Australia Cricket Board wants to manage Starc ahead of a busy upcoming international calendar, which includes major bilateral series against the South Africa cricket team and others.
Mitchell Starc will miss the start of the IPL 2026 season for Delhi Capitals
Mitchell Starc’s workload is being carefully managed after bowling more balls than almost any other player in Test cricket over the last 12 months. Only Indian fast bowler Mohammed Siraj performed more, highlighting the 36-year-old Australian veteran’s physical impact across all formats.
The experienced fast bowler will arrive at the Delhi Capitals camp feeling relatively fresh compared to his teammates. Starc retired from T20 Internationals at the end of last year and recently got a break during the T20 World Cup 2026 to prioritize his workload.
Starc last played competitive cricket during the recent Big Bash League season, where he took 10 wickets in just five matches. Despite staying away from T20 Internationals, the experienced fast bowler remains lethal in white-ball cricket.
Mitchell Starc’s IPL 2025 performance and Delhi Capitals’ bittersweet campaign
Delhi Capitals bought Mitchell Starc for Rs 11.75 crore during the IPL 2025 auction. The high-profile acquisition translated into a relatively successful individual campaign, as the Australian fast bowler contributed well to the bowling department.
Starc took 14 wickets in 11 matches at a strike rate of 15.40, although he was a bit expensive. The left-arm pacer recorded his best performance with five wickets for just 35 runs and finished as the second-highest wicket-taker for the Delhi-based franchise in the competition.
Delhi Capitals face a tough IPL 2025 campaign. After making a positive start to the tournament, the franchise suffered three crucial defeats in its last five league stage matches. They finished fifth in the standings with 15 points and narrowly missed a playoff spot.
Australian pacers set to miss the start of IPL 2026 season
Mitchell Starc as well as several other leading Australian fast bowlers will miss the opening weekend of the tournament. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain Pat Cummins and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) fast bowler Josh Hazlewood will also not be available for their respective franchises.
Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fast bowler Nathan Ellis is likely to miss the entire IPL season. It is noteworthy that CSK had retained Ellis after releasing Mathisha Pathirana before the IPL 2025 auction.
Cricket Tasmania recently confirmed that the 31-year-old fast bowler unfortunately re-aggravated a serious right hamstring injury while playing in the recent One Day Cup domestic final in Hobart last week, which has forced him to withdraw.
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