Australia‘s talented left-arm fast bowler, Mitchell Starc, has expressed his strong desire to rejoin the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the 2024 season, marking his return to the tournament after an eight-year hiatus. Starc’s last IPL appearance was in 2015 when he represented the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
Starc’s journey in the IPL
However, injuries and his busy international commitments with the Australian cricket team have kept him away from cash-rich league action. Although he briefly joined the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2018, an injury forced him to withdraw prematurely. Despite considering comebacks in the past, Starc consistently prioritized his national duties. The 33-year-old throughout his 27 IPL appearances, has secured an impressive tally of 34 wickets while maintaining an economy rate of 7.17.
The motivation behind the comeback
In a recent conversation on the Willow Talk Cricket Podcast, Starc emphasized the potential of IPL participation as an excellent way to prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup, set for June next year.
“Look, it’s been eight years. I’m definitely going back next year. Among other things, it’s a great lead-up to the T20 World Cup. So, it’s a good opportunity to see if anyone’s interested in the IPL, which then leads into the T20 World Cup. And it’s somewhat of a quiet winter next year, in comparison to this winter, so I think it’s a perfect opportunity to put my name in,” Starc said.
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Ambitions beyond the IPL
Nevertheless, the speedster’s aspirations extend beyond the IPL as he eagerly anticipates the forthcoming World Cup in India.
“Obviously, we want to perform well in the World Cup. Following that, we have a series of five Test matches here in Australia. Additionally, I haven’t had the opportunity to play a Test in New Zealand yet, so I hope to be part of that tour and embrace that challenge,” the Baulkham Hills-born cricketer added.
Test cricket: The ultimate format
Alongside his IPL objectives, Starc, who boasts 82 Test caps for Australia, remains steadfast in his pursuit of achieving the remarkable milestone of 100 Test appearances for his nation.
“I try not to look too far ahead with anything, not just get to 100 [Tests], I’d like to be good enough to be picked for 100 Tests, and then you look at the one-day format, it’s sort of four years in between World Cups, so where do I see myself in that mix? But I’ve got to get to the end of this World Cup first,” Starc concluded.