Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc recently expressed his disappointment over the lack of communication from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) following his release from the squad ahead of the 2025 IPL season. Starc, who played a pivotal role in KKR’s 2024 title-winning campaign, revealed that he was not informed by the management before they decided to release him.
Reflecting on the matter, he acknowledged that such situations are part of the unpredictability of franchise cricket. “I still haven’t heard from them. It is what it is, that’s franchise cricket,” Mitchell Starc told the *Daily Telegraph*, noting that all Australian players, aside from those with the Hyderabad team, would be available for the upcoming auction.
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During his long-awaited return to the IPL after a nine-year hiatus, Mitchell Starc was bought by KKR in December 2023 for an unprecedented INR 24.75 crore, setting a record as the league’s most expensive player. His performance justified the investment; he took 17 critical wickets across the season, delivering especially in the playoffs and the final. Starc’s fiery spells in the final against Sunrisers Hyderabad played a key role in securing KKR their third IPL title.
Mitchell Starc breaks silence on KKR snub, says ‘haven’t heard from them’
READ: https://t.co/6ewEJmatQV#MitchellStarc #IPLRetention #KKR @KKRiders
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KKR’s decision to release Starc, along with captain Shreyas Iyer, comes as they were restricted to retaining just six players under the IPL’s updated retention rules. The franchise opted to keep Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Varun Chakravarthy.
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KKR CEO Venky Mysore acknowledged the challenging nature of these decisions, especially after a successful season. “When you’ve built a squad that wins the championship, it’s tough to make changes. You naturally want to retain the defending champions, but that’s the reality of the league,” Mysore stated.
With KKR heading into the 2025 auction with a purse of INR 51 crore, their choices in the upcoming event will be closely watched as they attempt to restructure their squad for another successful season.
