Mitchell Starc is the latest Australian pacer whose IPL participation has been hampered because of injury or workload management.
Starc, who is a part of the Delhi Capitals’ squad, doesn’t have an injury, but Cricket Australia is taking a cautious approach with their star multi-format bowlers given their busy schedule in the next 12 months and so he will miss the first phase of the IPL.
According to a report in cricket.com.au, the 36-year-old left-arm pacer is being carefully managed, “having bowled more balls in Test cricket than any other paceman (bar India’s Mohammad Siraj) over the preceding 12 months”.
Starc played all five Ashes Tests and also some matches in the Big Bash League. He was not a part of Australia’s T20 World Cup team having retired from T20Is late last year.
From August, the Australian Test side will play up to 21 matches in a 12-month period, including tours of South Africa, India and England, before defending their ODI World Cup crown in South Africa in late 2027.
Besides Starc, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Pat Cummins and Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Josh Hazlewood will also miss the initial matches of IPL 2026. Nathan Ellis of the Chennai Super Kings has been ruled out of the tournament with a hamstring injury.
Cummins, Australia’s Test captain, only played one Test last summer due to a back stress injury. Hazlewood was out for the entire series due to hamstring and Achilles issues. Both players also missed the T20 World Cup.
Setback for Sunrisers
Jack Edwards, another Australian, has also been ruled out of the upcoming IPL with a foot injury. The 25-year-old seam-bowling all-rounder was picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for Rs 3 crore. He had a good Big Bash outing, picking 19 wickets.
With inputs from PTI