The experienced Australian fast bowler, Mitchell Starc, has officially announced his intention to participate in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) mini-auction. He's gearing up for the ICC T20 World Cup in 2024, scheduled to be held in the West Indies in June of the following year.
If a franchise chooses to pick him in the auction, it will mark his return to the IPL after a hiatus of nearly a decade since his last appearance in 2015. This would also signify his second stint with an IPL team, as he had previously represented the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2014 and 2015 seasons, where he delivered impressive performances, claiming 34 wickets in 27 matches. In 2018, he had briefly joined the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) but had to withdraw due to injury. On certain occasions, Starc prioritized his international cricket commitments over the IPL.
“Look, it’s been eight years. I’m definitely going back in [next] year. Amongst other things, it’s a great lead-up to the T20 World Cup,”. Starc shared his IPL aspirations during an interview on the Willow Talk Cricket Podcast.
“Not just to get to 100, I would like to be good enough to be picked for 100 Tests. And then the big one obviously in a couple of weeks is the World Cup, which in India just goes to another level,” he added.
“So a good opportunity to see if anyone’s interested in the IPL, then lead into the T20 World Cup. And it is somewhat of a quiet winter next year…in comparison to this winter, so I think it is a perfect opportunity to put my name in,” he concluded.
One of the primary reasons behind his extended absence from the IPL is his unwavering dedication to Test cricket. His ultimate goal is to join the elite group of cricketers who have played a century of Test matches, a feat currently achieved only by Australia's legendary Glenn McGrath. Starc, having already played 82 Tests, is on the path to achieving this milestone. If he continues to feature in Australia's upcoming matches as per the Future Tours Programme, he is poised to reach his 100th Test match during the 2025-26 Ashes series.
In 2018, Starc enlisted his name for the IPL auction, and KKR made a substantial purchase, acquiring him for an impressive sum of Rs 9.40 crore. However, he was unable to participate due to an injury, triggering a prolonged legal dispute with an insurance company that was ultimately resolved in 2020.
In the 2015 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, the Royal Challengers Bangalore acquired Mitchell Starc for a sum of 4.8 crore Indian Rupees (INR).
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How many matches Starc played in IPL ?▼
He had appeared in a total of 27 games spanning two seasons while representing the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
When did he last participate in the IPL ?▼
The last time he played in the league was in 2015 for Royal Challengers Bangalore
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