IPL 2025: DC buy Mitchell Starc for ₹11.75 crore
Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc has been sold to Delhi Capitals for ₹11.75 crore in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction Notably, the left-arm pacer was released by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of the bidding event. He returned to the IPL in 2024, after a nine-year absence. Although he had a slow start to his comeback season, he was instrumental in KKR's championship win.
Starc's IPL journey: From RCB to KKR
Starc started his IPL career with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru(RCB) in 2014 and 2015 after being bought for Rs. 5 crore. He then took a break from the tournament to manage his workload before returning to the fray in 2024 with KKR. During his time with RCB, Starc had exhibited exceptional pace-bowling skills, which are now drawing interest from multiple teams ahead of the auction. Meanwhile, he took 17 wickets in 14 matches for KKR last season.
Starc's strengths and challenges in IPL
Starc's all-phase bowling mastery, big-match temperament, and vast experience (193 wickets across 142 T20 matches) make him a formidable bowler. However, he also has his own challenges, including a high economy rate in the death overs and potential availability issues due to national commitments. Despite these hurdles, Starc's overall performance has been consistently impressive throughout his IPL career.
Here are his IPL numbers
As mentioned, Starc represented RCB across two editions in the IPL. He took 14 wickets from 14 matches in 2014 and managed 20 scalps from 13 matches in 2015. The pacer took one four-fer for RCB. Starc made a return to the IPL in 2024. The veteran currently owns 51 IPL wickets from 40 games at 22.29. His economy is a decent 8.21 (4W: 2).
Most expensive player in IPL history
Last year, Starc became the then-most expensive IPL signing ever when KKR secured him for a mammoth ₹24.75 crore at the 2024 auction. They fought hard against Gujarat Titans before picking the Aussie speedster. Though Starc could not live up to the expectations in the initial half of the season, he bounced back eventually. The speed merchant was particularly lethal in the playoff games.
