Australia’s Mitchell Starc who played Indian Premier League back in 2015 decided to return to the cash-rich league in the upcoming 2024 edition.
Mitchell Starc set to return to IPL in 2024
The left-arm pacer has played only the 2014 and 2015 editions of the competition but is now set to enter the auction in order to play next year.
Over the years, the pacer has stayed away from the IPL in order to spend time with his family and keep himself fresh amidst the busy international schedule. Starc did enter the auction in 2018 and was purchased by Kolkata Knight Riders before he backed out due to an injury.
He skipped the 2019 edition as well with the ODI World Cup scheduled to begin by the end of May. With the World Test Championship Final and the Ashes scheduled this year, Starc once again chose to stay away.
However, the 33-year-old is targeting the IPL to prepare himself for the T20 World Cup scheduled to be held in the Caribbean and USA next year in June. “I’m definitely going back in (next) year,” Starc told the Willow Talk cricket podcast.
“Amongst other things, it’s a great lead-up to the T20 World Cup. So a good opportunity to see if anyone’s interested in the IPL, then lead into the T20 World Cup. And it’s somewhat of a quiet winter next year … in comparison to this winter, so I think a perfect opportunity to put my name in.”
Starc has also expressed his desire to play 100 Tests for Australia and has hinted that he is unsure of his future in the ODI format after the World Cup.
“It took me a long time to feel like I was good enough Test cricket,” he said. “So I want to really give that the biggest crack I’ve got. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed white-ball cricket and that’s probably where I got my main opportunities in as well. I’d like to be good enough to get to 100 Tests. Not just get to 100, 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. But we’ve got some superstars coming through. You’ve got your Jhye Richardsons, your Sean Abbotts, your Spencer Johnsons”.
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“You’ve got plenty of young guys coming through. (Lance) Morris is going to be a gun. I try not to look too far ahead with anything. Obviously, we want to do well in the World Cup. Then we’ve got five Test matches here in Australia and then I haven’t actually played a Test in New Zealand, so hopefully I’m on that tour and look forward to that challenge as well”, he added.
