“I’m comfortable with my decision and…” - Starc opens up on not returning to IPL 2025 after its resumption

Australian pacer Mitchell Starc is currently gearing up for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 Final, scheduled to take place from 11 to 15 June at Lord’s against South Africa. 

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But ahead of the final, he has finally broken his silence and spoken about his decision not to return to Delhi Capitals (DC) for the remainder of the IPL 2025 tournament after its resumption. 

While speaking to The Age, Starc said: “I’m comfortable with my decision and how I felt about the whole situation and how it was handled. That’s why I made my decision post-that, and my focus changed to red-ball cricket for about a week prior to coming over here (to Lord's for the World Test Championship final).” 

“Time will tell with repercussions or how it looks with guys that didn’t return. But I’ve had my questions and concerns leading into that game, and obviously we saw what happened, which played a part in my decision," he further added. 

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Starc also confirmed that he had previously opted out of the Champions Trophy due to concerns about playing in Pakistan. Although his IPL future may now be in doubt after skipping the tournament mid-way, the pacer seems unfazed. 

Throughout his career, he has consistently prioritised family time with his wife, Alyssa Healy, and focused on staying physically fresh for international commitments with Australia. 

“These are different circumstances. It was more a question of not having enough information leading into making a decision [about] things of that degree. I had a discussion back home then came to a decision, and whatever comes from that I’m comfortable with that and we move forward,” Starc added. 

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Starc was present during the PBKS vs DC clash that was suspended mid-way due to an unavoidable situation, which eventually led to the IPL 2025 being suspended. His wife Alyssa was also in attendance to support him, and both faced a difficult experience during that incident. 

Before the suspension, Starc had done decently for DC, taking 14 wickets in 10 innings at an economy rate of 10.16. Notably, he had won the IPL 2024 title with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

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