Mitchell Starc has hinted at retirement from one of the formats in international cricket—most probably ODIs— to shift focus to franchise leagues. Kolkata Knight Riders premier paceman Mitchell Starc has expressed his wish to return to IPL 2025 in the Purple and Golden outfit once again.
Mitchell Starc was bought by KKR for a record-breaking INR 24.75 crore in the IPL 2024 auction as he played a massive role in the team’s third IPL title triumph. The Aussie pacer produced Player of the Match performances in the qualifier 1 and final against Sunrisers Hyderabad to prove he was worth every penny KKR spent on him in the auction.
Mitchell Starc’s return to IPL after 9 years since 2015
Mitchell Starc returned to the IPL this year after a long hiatus. Mitchell Starc last played in the cash-rich league in 2015 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Mitchell Starc missed the world’s most lucrative league to prioritise Australian cricket, however, Mitchell Starc has changed his mind a bit in the current stage of his career.
Mitchell Starc’s consideration of dropping ODIs from his cricketing calendar could mean more appearances in franchise cricket, including the IPL. Despite being the most expensive player in IPL auction history, fetched for Rs. 24.75 crore by KKR, Mitchell Starc had a tough start to the season. He conceded 100 runs in his first two games without taking a wicket, but his performance dramatically improved as the tournament progressed.
Mitchell Starc’s match-winning figures of 3-34 and 2-14 in Qualifier 1 and the final, respectively, against SRH showcased his ability to perform under pressure. His efforts were instrumental in KKR’s dominant campaign, ending with a resounding victory in the final.
Mitchell Starc’s return to the IPL has been nothing short of spectacular, culminating in a title win with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). After years of prioritizing international cricket, Mitchell Starc’s decision to rejoin the cash-rich league paid off, and he now contemplates altering his cricketing commitments, potentially stepping away from ODIs.
Mitchell Starc, who had largely stayed away from the IPL during his peak years to focus on his national duties and manage his workload, revealed his thoughts on this shift at a press conference following KKR’s emphatic win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL 2024 final by eight wickets. KKR secured their third IPL title, with Starc playing a pivotal role.
Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc feels that T20 World Cup will not be as high-scoring as the Indian Premier League. Starc has hoped that bowlers will play a bigger part in the World Cup than they have in the IPL.
KKR star Mitchell Starc predicts smaller totals in T20 World Cup and bowlers to shine more
Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc formed a crucial part of KKR winning campaign in the Indian Premier League 2024. Starc upped the ante in the playoffs of the tournament and ripped through the SRH top order in both the matches they played in the playoffs stage. The fast bowler will now fly out to the United States of America to play in the T20 World Cup 2024. Asked about the trend of high scores in T20s, Starc said that it will not happen in the T20 World Cup 2024.
Starc has argued that the lack of an Impact Player rule in international cricket will force teams to field more balanced sides, something that will bring down the high scores. The fast bowler said that due to the absence of a specialist batting all-rounder at No. 8, the T20 World Cup might have more impactful performances from bowlers.
“There is an Impact Player Rule here and not in the T20 World Cup. You are going to have to rely more on your all-rounders. You cannot put your batting all-rounder at number 8, like you do in the IPL. I don’t think that you will see these kinds of high scores in the T20 World Cup, purely because there will be one less batter,” Mitchell Starc said at the post-match press conference after winning the IPL.
Starc also pointed out that the wickets were batting-friendly in the Indian Premier League, which might not be the case in the Caribbean islands. West Indies wickets have kept low and slow in the recent past, which has aided spin in those wickets.
“Batters have been more brave in the powerplay. They are striking the ball better as we have seen in the IPL. Particularly the wickets have been good. They will not be the same in West Indies, it will turn and they will be more tired. In the back end of the tournament, it may spin more and stay low and slow. Hopefully the bowlers play a bit more role in the World Cup than they have played in the IPL,” Starc said.
Mitchell Starc also had praise for his KKR coach Gautam Gambhir during his play at KKR
Mitchell Starc in all praise of Gautam Gambhir
The fast bowler signed off by crediting Gautam Gambhir for KKR’s win in the tournament. Starc said that Gambhir wanted KKR to do well and returned to the franchise to get them out of their recent slump.
“Gautam Gambhir has been fantastic tactically. He obviously wants the franchise to do well, he has spent a lot of time here. He just loves the group to do well. Whether it has been his tactical eye or his observations in training, he has been great. He thoroughly deserves his success with KKR. It was my first experience as a home team in Eden as well. It was much easier to be the home side, it was loud and busy,” concluded the Australian fast bowler.
He mentioned that this year’s IPL will help him in preparing for the T20 World Cup in West Indies starting June 1 and would be the lethal in Australian pace attack in the upcoming T20 World Cup.