Mitchell Starc, one of the best fast bowlers in the world right now, has expressed his desire to come back to the Indian Premier League next year. The left-arm pacer hasn’t played in the IPL for 8 years. But now, he revealed his plans regarding the IPL 2024 and the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 next year. Today, we will talk about who will be the three teams that can target Mitchell Starc in the IPL 2024 auction. So let’s start.
Mitchell Starc played his last IPL game in 2015
Starc played his last IPL season in 2015. He played for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in that season. After that, he only prioritizes international cricket ahead of franchise cricket.
Starc has been signed by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise in 2018. But injury forced him to opt out of the tournament.
Mitchell Starc’s IPL record:-
He has played 2 seasons (2014-15) of IPL so far. Both with the RCB franchise. In 26 innings, he got 34 wickets with an average of 20.38 and a strike rate of 17.06. His economy is 7.17 with the best figures of 4 for 15.
With the bat, he has scored 96 runs in 12 innings.
Mitchell Starc prioritizing international cricket
Because of the workload management, he decided not to play IPL and looks to focus on expanding his international career. But now, with the ICC T20 WC coming up next year, Mitchell Starc has decided to go for the auction next year in IPL 2024.
Good game time for Starc before the T20 WC
Playing in the IPL 2024 will be a good thing for Mitchell Starc as it will be a good match time before the ICC T20 WC 2024 in the West Indies and the US. He will get enough matches in the IPL 2024 and will be ready to go in the all-important T20 WC.
IPL Comeback after 9 years: Mitchell Starc
It will be the first time after 9 years that Starc plays in the IPL. He himself looks at this as an opportunity before the T20 WC.
In a recent conversation on the Willow Talk Cricket Podcast, Starc said – “Look, it’s been eight years. I’m definitely going back next year. Among other things, it’s a great lead-up to the T20 World Cup. So, it’s a good opportunity to see if anyone’s interested in the IPL, which then leads into the T20 World Cup. And it’s somewhat of a quiet winter next year, in comparison to this winter, so I think it’s a perfect opportunity to put my name in.”
Strac’s ability with the ball
We all know what Mitchell Starc can do with the ball. He has the ability to swing the new ball, and that too with sheer pace. Starc can make some early inroads with the new ball.
Also, his ability to bowl those pin-point Yorkers in the death overs makes him even more lethal. He is very hard to get some quick runs in the last few overs.
Lucrative contract coming up for Mitchell Starc?
Definitely, the franchises will target Mitchell Starc in IPL 2024 and he might get a lucrative contract because of his demand.
Also, we have seen over the years that the players get much more money in the mini auction as compared to the mega auction. And especially the overseas fast bowlers.
Let us now see who will be the three teams that can target Mitchell Starc in the IPL 2024 auction.
3 teams who might target Mitchell Starc in the IPL 2024 auction
(1) Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
An obvious choice. RCB should have gone for Mitchell Starc in the IPL 2024 auction. Starc used to be a part of the RCB franchise in 2014-15. And the team might again see him as the fast-bowling option for the next season.
RCB badly needed an out-and-out fast bowler who can bowl with both, the new ball and in the death overs. It will boost the team’s fast bowling, along with M Siraj who has been doing well for the franchise.
(2) Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
KKR has been looking for an overseas fast bowler since the last few overs. They got some of the overseas pacers like Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, etc. But the injuries and bad performances always hinder KKR’s pace bowling options.
Mitchell Starc could be the perfect fit for them in the IPL 2024. They have signed him in the 2018 season. But Starc’s injury forced him to opt out of the tournament.
(3) Mumbai Indians (MI)
MI always looked for the overseas fast bowling option over the years. We have seen M. Johnson, L. Malinga, M. McClenaghan, etc. playing for the franchise.
MI signed Jofra Archer for the last season. But his injury forced MI to look for other options in C Jordon, J Behrendorff, etc. Also with Bumrah’s workload management, Starc could be the option for MI next year.
Conclusion
Let’s see which team will get Starc in the IPL 2024. What’s your say on this? Thank you for reading. We hope you liked it. Keep following us for the latest updates.
