Mitchell Starc in action during IPL 2025 (PTI Photo)
After receiving the necessary clearances from Cricket Australia, fast bowler Mitchell Starc will join the Delhi Capitals on Friday morning. The 36-year-old, who has been sidelined with elbow and shoulder injuries, is now expected to return to action for DC’s May 1 match against Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026.As first reported by TimesofIndia.com, the DC think-tank has been in regular contact with the left-hander and knew he was unlikely to join the team until at least April 20. The Axar Patel-led unit has won three and lost as many of the six matches they have played in the league so far. While Starc’s development is a big boost, the team needs to perform at their best in two more matches – against Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru – without the experienced Australian to keep their chances of qualifying for the IPL 2026 playoffs strong.
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Venugopal Rao explains where Delhi Capitals lost the game when they were chasing a big numberIt is understood that the men who matter could adjust their combination in the coming games given Starc’s situation as they would have to manage the four overseas slots smartly. Pathum Nissanka, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs and Lungi Ngidi have played but the management will face a joyous headache when Starc returns to the XI.They have many options to explore and it remains to be seen how long Sahil Parakh will stay on the bench in IPL 2026. The 18-year-old left-hander has been very impressive in the pre-season camp and at full strength inside the team that followed and could soon find himself in the top order.Even the senior players in the team are very impressed with his intrepid strokeplay which allowed him to comfortably take down bowlers like Mukesh Kumar, T Natarajan in tough match simulations.Starc will join the team tomorrow morning but won’t rush back into competitive cricket; he will gradually increase his workload in the coming week before the away game against RR. The left-hander made 11 appearances for the franchise last season, picking up 14 goals in those appearances. If he remains on track to play the May 1 match, the veteran quick will play at least six games for the franchise and hope to make an immediate impact on the business end of the tournament.
