Delhi Capitals (DC) pacer Mitchell Starc has provided a crucial update on his availability for IPL 2026. Amidst ample speculations around his status, Starc himself took to his Instagram account to clear the air.
In an Instagram story, the premium speedster wrote that he is currently nursing injuries in his shoulder and elbow, the extent of which was unknown during the Australian summer. As a result, he is rehabbing and will miss the initial phase of the tournament, which is a massive blow for Delhi Capitals.
“Despite the opinions and views of certain individuals with their platforms in and through the Indian media, I’m currently rehabbing and managing an injury in my shoulder and elbow of which I didn’t know the extent of during the Australian summer,” Starc wrote in the story.
Mitchell Starc went on to criticise those making comments about him without knowing the actual truth, and apologised to the Delhi Capitals fans, who were hoping to see him fit and firing from the start. However, he confirmed that he remains committed to the franchise and has been in constant touch with the team management, as he aims to get fit again and play in the tournament.
How Mitchell Starc absence will hurt Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026
Mitchell Starc is Delhi Capitals’ premium pacer, even though they have several other overseas speedsters, such as Lungi Ngidi, Kyle Jamieson, and Dushmantha Chameera. He brought the left-arm angle and high skills, especially suited for the powerplay.
Then, with the saliva ban lifted, Starc could have extracted some reverse in the slog overs and restricted the flow of runs on flat surfaces. Last season, he took seven wickets at 10.85 runs apiece and had an economy rate of 9.50, the fourth-lowest among all pacers with at least eight slog overs.
Despite his shaky recent T20 record overall, Mitchell Starc remains one of the most skilled bowlers in the team, and he showed his value when the bowlers had something to work with. Additionally, the Australian player could have also added batting depth, so his unavailability leaves a big void in DC’s setup.
The art 🎨 The artist 😎
Mitchell Starc gets one on target ⚡️
Nicholas Pooran goes back after a breathtaking 75(30) 🔥
In his absence, the Capitals might prefer Ngidi, who has a range of variations and understands how to construct his overs. They would want to have Starc’s services at some stage of IPL 2026, but that would depend on how well he recovers and whether Cricket Australia allows him to participate in the competition.
