Mitchell Starc will play in IPL 2024, will give name in auction after 8 years

 

Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc has been missing from the Indian Premier League (IPL) for more than 8 years. Due to Ashes 2023, Starc had also withdrawn his name from the IPL 2023 auction but now Starc is completely ready to return to IPL. Starc has decided to make himself available for the IPL 2024 season ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup to be held in West Indies and USA in June next year.

The Australian fast bowler has made it clear that he will participate in the IPL 2024 mini-auction later this year. In such a situation, if Starc is bought by any franchise in the IPL 2024 auction, then he will be seen playing in IPL for any team for the first time since the 2015 season. In his 27-match IPL career, Starc has managed to take 34 wickets at an average of 20.38 for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Starc's best season was IPL 2015, when he took 20 wickets in 13 matches at an average of 14.55.

Starc, speaking on the Willow Talk Cricket podcast, opened up about his IPL plans and said, “Look it's been eight years. I'm definitely going back (next) year. So this is a good opportunity to see if anyone is interested in IPL, then it will be beneficial in T20 World Cup also. “Next year is going to be a somewhat quieter winter than this winter, so I think this is a perfect opportunity to put our name out there.”

If Starc is selected, they will become the first husband-wife pair to feature in the IPL and Women's Premier League. Starc's wife and Australian wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy played for UP Warriors in WPL 2023. Starc has played 82 Tests for Australia and if he features in all of Australia's upcoming matches on the Future Tours Programme, his 100th match will take place during the 2025–26 Ashes.

Talking about this he said, "Not just to score 100 runs, I want to be good enough to be selected for 100 Test matches. Then in a few weeks there is obviously the biggest World Cup, which is second only to India. Will go to level."