Australian pacer Mitchell Starc has officially withdrawn from the remainder of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, opting not to return to India to rejoin Delhi Capitals (DC).
The decision comes a week after he participated in the rain-abandoned match in Dharamsala, which is scheduled to be replayed. According to the media reports, the Australian pacer has informed the franchise of his unavailability for the rest of the tournament.
Starc, who is Delhi's leading wicket-taker this season with 14 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 26.14, will now have an uninterrupted preparation period ahead of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final.
In another blow to the franchise, promising Australian batter Jake Fraser-McGurk has also opted out of the remainder of the season.
Bought for INR 9 crore (approx. USD 1.07 million) at the mega auction, Fraser-McGurk confirmed that he will not be returning for the second leg of the competition.
As a replacement, Delhi Capitals have signed Bangladesh's left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman for INR 6 crore.
However, Rahman's availability remains uncertain as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has revealed it has not yet been approached for a No Objection Certificate (NOC). Mustafizur is currently in Sharjah, representing Bangladesh in a T20I series against the UAE.
Meanwhile, South African batter Tristan Stubbs has confirmed his return to DC but will only be available for the remainder of the league phase before departing for the WTC final.
There is still no confirmation on whether Faf du Plessis will return to the squad.Elsewhere in the IPL, several Australian players are making individual decisions about returning. Pat Cummins and Travis Head will rejoin Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), who are already out of playoff contention and conclude their campaign on May 25.
This will provide both players with adequate time to prepare for the WTC final.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) pacer Josh Hazlewood is currently assessing a shoulder niggle before deciding whether to return, while wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis has yet to confirm his plans with Punjab Kings (PBKS).
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