Speculation Swirls: Will Mitchell Starc Grace the IPL 2024 Stage?

Australian pacer Mitchell Starc arguably is one of the finest pacers going around in the world of cricket. The fast bowler has been carrying the load of the Australian cricket team in all three formats since the last decade. His commitment to his national team sets him apart from others and makes him one of the most valuable assets.

Mitchell Starc in his career has prioritised international cricket more than franchise cricket, which has earned him a lot of praise. He hasn’t plied his trade in the T20 leagues across the world regularly but has played a few editions in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The lanky Australian fast bowler played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL. He played for two seasons in IPL 2014 and 2015 but after that didn’t feature in the league for the next 9 years. Starc cited that he wanted to give rest to his body and keep himself fit for all the international fixtures, hence seeing the premier pacer missing IPL for years. 

Will Mitchell Starc play IPL 2024

After missing 9 years of IPL action, Mitchell Starc is finally back in the world’s most competitive cricketing league. The Australian pacer shattered all the records in the auction. He was acquired by the Kolkata Knight Riders and it saw all the records getting broken in the Dubai Coca Cola arena, where auction 2024 took place.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) went all out for Mitchell Starc. The two-time IPL winners brought him for the whopping amount of INR 24.75 crore, which is the highest bid for any bowler in the league. He surpassed Pat Cummins, who at the IPL 2024 auction was roped in by Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 20.5 crore. 

With all the speculations about Mitchell Starc’s participation in the IPL 2024, especially with him not opting to play in the last few years, the doubts have been put to rest. The fast bowler is part of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the league and is playing a decent role for the team in the tournament.

However, Mitchell Starc doesn’t have the kind of IPL he would’ve wanted. The fast bowler isn’t justifying his price tag in the IPL and is not bowling up to the mark. The Australian has been taken for a lot of runs so far in the league and is also facing a lot of trolls for his poor performance, especially after getting such a heavy price tag.

In the powerplay this season, Mitchell Starc has given away 113 runs in the 12 overs that he has bowled. To make things worse, he has managed just 3 wickets at an economy rate of around 10.  His poor run with the ball is one of the main reasons why Kolkata Knight Riders are struggling to take wickets in power play.

Mitchell Starc came with up a better performance in the Kolkata Knight Riders’ game against Lucknow Super Giants at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday (April 14). He picked up three wickets and gave away 28 runs, helping his team to win the game.

With still early days in the IPL 2024 and the kind of calibre Mitchell Starc brings in, it won’t be a surprise if the fast bowler returns to his best anytime soon. Kolkata Knight Riders look like one of the strong favourites to qualify for the playoffs and they will need a big player like Starc to step up in that phase. 

Mitchell Starc’s total wickets in IPL 

Mitchell Starc has been decent in the Indian Premier League in the three seasons that he has played in the tournament. The Australian pacer has picked 39 wickets at an average of 22.44 and an economy of 7.63 in the 32 matches that he has played in the tournament so far.

Mitchell Starc’s best in the IPL 2015 while playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He picked 20 wickets in the season at an average of 14.55 and an economy of 6.76 to go with the best of 4/15. In IPL 2023, the lanky fast bowler picked 14 wickets at an average of 28.71.