Delhi Capitals Slam Cricket Australia Over Mitchell Starc’s Unavailability
Delhi Capitals Slam Cricket Australia Over Mitchell Starc’s Unavailability
Mitchell Starc made a significant impact in the high-scoring thriller between Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals on Sunday, May 17, picking up four wickets at an expense of just 40 runs.
Starc’s performance earned him the ‘Player of the Match’ award, but his absence in the first half of the IPL 2026 season has been lamented by Delhi Capitals head coach Hemang Badani, who blames Cricket Australia for restricting the speedster’s availability.
Delhi Capitals Coach Blames Cricket Australia for Starc’s Unavailability
Badani stated that Starc should have been available to the franchise from the start of the season, considering the investment made in acquiring his services.
“Ideally, I would want my players to be available to me from day one. And Mitchell Starc is probably one of my biggest players in my squad, and we’ve invested in him, and we know that he’s a match winner,” Badani said.
He added, “Certain things that are decided by associations and governing bodies, there’s very little that we can do. Because if Cricket Australia does not release him there’s little a coach or any franchise can do.”
Starc’s Performance Since Return
Since his return to competitive cricket, Starc has blown hot and cold, starting with a match-winning three-fer against the Rajasthan Royals on May 1, followed by a wicketless performance against CSK and KKR.
Starc also leaked 57 runs in his four overs against the Punjab Kings before finding his rhythm with a sensational four-fer against the Royals in Delhi on Sunday, May 17.
Overall, in five innings of the tournament, the 36-year-old has picked nine wickets at an average of 22 and with an expensive economy of 10.42.
Delhi Capitals on the Cusp of Elimination
Despite winning against the Rajasthan Royals, the Delhi Capitals franchise is still ranked seventh on the IPL 2026 points table, with six wins and seven defeats from just 13 matches.
It is imperative for the Capitals to win their impending fixture against the KKR on May 24 and hope for a slew of exterior results to go their way to stay in contention.
