Mitchell Starc has responded strongly to criticism surrounding his absence from the early phase of Indian Premier League 2026, confirming that an elbow injury has delayed his arrival in India.
The left-arm quick is set to miss the opening games for Delhi Capitals, triggering debate around the commitment of overseas players. Among those raising concerns were former India captain Sunil Gavaskar and former India batter Aakash Chopra.
However, Starc clarified that the decision was injury-driven, with Cricket Australia already confirming that he, along with Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, would miss the initial phase of the tournament due to workload management.
His absence also sparked discussion among fans, with questions raised about his availability. Alyssa Healy, Starc’s wife, addressed the issue via Instagram, indicating that he is currently recovering from injury.
Breaking his silence, Starc pushed back against the narrative around his absence, revealing that the extent of his injury became clear only after the Australian summer.
“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 stated.
He also criticised what he described as inaccurate commentary around his situation.
“These individuals have made some strong statements around involvement in the IPL and provided heavily misinformed opinions of players, preached them as facts, and claim to know my body better than me,” he added.
Starc reaffirms commitment to Delhi Capitals
Despite the setback, Starc reiterated his commitment to the franchise and apologised for missing the early part of the season.
“With that said I do acknowledge this injury setback and timing is disruptive to the Delhi team and I apologise for that and to the fans for not being available for the early part of this season. I remain committed to join DC, are in continual communication updating the team and will continue to do what I can to be available for DC asap,” he concluded.
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