Mitchell Starc, The Australian pacer, has set his eyes on returning to the IPL in 2024, ending his self-imposed exile from the league. 2015 saw his last IPL appearance. Starc has stayed away from the IPL over the years, despite being one of the best bowlers of his generation in white-ball cricket and leading the wicket charts in the last two ODI World Cups. The left-arm pacer has only participated in the 2014 and 2015 competitions, but he is planning to enter the auction to compete in the following year’s competition.
The bowler has avoided the IPL over the years to spend more time with his family and to keep himself in shape amid the demanding international schedule. He did participate in the 2018 auction and was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders before he withdrew due to an injury. The ODI World Cup was set to start at the end of May, therefore he missed both the 2018 and 2019 editions as well. Starc once again made the decision to skip in order to prepare for the World Test Championship Final and the Ashes this year.
The 33-year-old is aiming for the IPL, though, to be ready for the T20 World Cup, which will take place in the Caribbean and the United States in June of 2019. According to Starc, “I’m definitely going back in (next) year,” the Willow Talk cricket podcast. It’s a terrific lead-up to the T20 World Cup, among other things. So this is a fantastic chance to gauge interest in the IPL before the T20 World Cup. And compared to this winter, next year will be somewhat quiet, so I believe it would be a fantastic time to enter my name.
Aside from saying that he wants to play 100 Tests for Australia, Starc has also made it known that he is unclear about his ODI future after the World Cup. “It took me a long time to feel like I was good enough to play Test cricket,” he admitted. Therefore, I want to give that the greatest crack I can. White-ball cricket has been a great experience for me, and it’s probably where I had the majority of opportunities. I hope to perform well enough to pass 100 tests. I want to do well enough to be chosen for 100 Tests, not just get to 100.
When it comes to the one-day format, there are around four years between World Cups. How do I see myself fitting into that mix? However, I must first complete this World Cup. However, there are some superstars on the horizon. You have your Sean Abbotts, Jhye Richardsons, and Spencer Johnsons. There are many young men coming through. Morris is going to be a weapon. I make an effort to avoid planning too far in advance. We naturally want to perform well at the World Cup. I’ve never played in a Test match in New Zealand, so I’m looking forward to that as well. After that, we have five Test matches scheduled here in Australia.
