Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc has expressed his keen interest in returning to the Indian Premier League (IPL) next year. This revelation comes as Starc gears up for the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA in June 2024, with the IPL serving as the perfect platform for him to sharpen his skills before this marquee event.
Mitchell Starc, whose last IPL appearance dates back to 2015, has eagerly announced his comeback plans, emphasizing the significant time gap since his last league participation. In an exclusive conversation with the Willow Talk Cricket Podcast, Starc stated, “Look, it’s been eight years. I’m definitely going back in [next] year.”
The Australian pace sensation has previously donned the jerseys of Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, making 27 appearances across two seasons before an injury forced him to withdraw in 2018.
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Mitchell Starc’s decision to return to the IPL aligns perfectly with the relatively light Australian cricket schedule for 2024. This schedule primarily revolves around the T20 World Cup, scheduled between the tour of New Zealand in March and white-ball series against Afghanistan, Ireland, and England in late August.
Which team you would like to see Mitchell Starc in IPL 2024? pic.twitter.com/JE9LDpZj13
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) September 7, 2023
Mitchell Starc highlighted the IPL’s significance as a preparatory ground leading up to the T20 World Cup, stating, “So a good opportunity to see if anyone’s interested in the IPL, then lead into the T20 World Cup. And it’s somewhat of a quiet winter next year…in comparison to this winter, so I think a perfect opportunity to put my name in.”
Starc’s previous reservations about IPL participation were primarily rooted in his commitment to Test cricket. However, his perspective has evolved, and he now welcomes new challenges.
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Regarding his ambitions, he remarked, “I try not to look too far ahead with anything, not just get to 100 [Tests], I’d like to be good enough to be picked for 100 Tests, and then you look at the one-day format, it’s sort of four years in between World Cups, so where do I see myself in that mix? But I’ve got to get to the end of this World Cup first.”
With Mitchell Starc’s sights set on a fruitful IPL return in 2024, fans and cricket enthusiasts can eagerly anticipate witnessing the speedster’s remarkable skills on display once again in the world’s premier T20 league
