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Mitchell Starc has announced that he will return to the IPL in 2024. The left-arm fast bowler from Australia has not played in the cash-rich league since 2015. He registered for the mega auction in 2018, where Kolkata Knight Riders signed him for a big amount, but Starc missed the tournament due to an injury.
The Aussie pacer has stayed away from the IPL since then, focusing on international cricket and domestic tournaments in Australia. Keeping next year's ICC T20 World Cup in mind, Mitchell Starc has decided to return to the IPL.
On the Willow Talk Cricket Podcast, Starc recently said:
“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 is one of the biggest match-winners in the cricket world right now. His left-arm pace can prove to be an asset for any IPL franchise. A few teams may even take the risk of releasing a big name from their squad to sign Mitchell Starc.
On that note, here's a list of three foreign players who are in danger of being released.
#1 Chennai Super Kings may release Ben Stokes and run after Mitchell Starc
Ben Stokes returned to the IPL for the first time since 2021 earlier this year. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) broke the bank and signed the England Test captain for a whopping ₹16.25 crore. However, Stokes played only two matches for CSK.
He missed most of the games due to injury, while CSK kept him out of the playing XI for the last few matches when he recovered from injury. Considering that Stokes is planning to undergo surgery soon, the Super Kings may release him ahead of IPL 2024.
The defending champions can target Starc at the auction and boost their pace attack. Facing the duo of Starc and Matheesha Pathirana in death overs would be the ultimate challenge for all other teams.
#2 Mumbai Indians may let go of Jofra Archer to buy Mitchell Starc
Five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) have struggled in recent IPL seasons because of injuries to their fast bowlers. MI invested ₹8 crore in Jofra Archer's services during the IPL 2022 Mega Auction. However, Archer has managed to play only five matches for MI thus far, scalping two wickets.
Archer has been out of action for a while now. MI can think of letting him go and boosting their auction purse to sign Starc. Jasprit Bumrah and Starc can give nightmares to the opposition batters.
#3 Kolkata Knight Riders can free up ₹10 crore by releasing Lockie Ferguson
Two-time IPL winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) raised quite a few eyebrows when they roped in New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson for ₹10 crore from the Gujarat Titans in the trade window. Ferguson warmed the benches in the majority of the games for KKR this year. He picked up a solitary wicket in the three matches he played.
Since Kolkata showed interest in Mitchell Starc's services in IPL 2018, they may want the Aussie speedster back in their squad upon his return to the IPL. Releasing Lockie Ferguson can help KKR boost their auction purse.
