Mitchell Starc, the spearhead of Delhi Capitals’ bowling attack, once again made his presence felt in the high-octane IPL 2025 clash against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. After Delhi posted a strong total of 203 on the board, it was the bowlers’ turn to take over — and Starc didn’t disappoint.
The left-arm pacer began proceedings with a disciplined first over, keeping the Gujarat openers in check. However, the drama unfolded in his second over. After being struck for back-to-back boundaries by the in-form Sai Sudharsan, Starc looked visibly fired up. Not one to back down, the Australian seamer attempted to flip the momentum with a rarely seen tactic in modern cricket — a Mankad warning.
WATCH – Karun Nair Shines With Bat and Brilliant Run Out of Shubman Gill
As he charged in for the final delivery of the third over, Starc abruptly stopped mid-stride upon noticing Sudharsan backing up too far. He turned around and stared at the batter before delivering a clear, silent message: stay in your crease. The gesture didn’t escalate, but the moment quickly lit up social media, with fans divided over the attempted Mankad and praising Starc’s competitive edge.
— Drizzyat12Kennyat8 (@45kennyat7PM) April 19, 2025
Earlier, DC had already delivered a big blow when Karun Nair pulled off a brilliant direct hit to dismiss Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill. The miscommunication between Gill and Sudharsan proved costly, and Nair capitalised in stunning fashion.
WATCH – Ashutosh Sharma Shines with the Bat, but Faces Heat from Ishant Sharma
With both flair and firepower, Mitchell Starc’s second over, despite the boundaries, became one of the talking points of the evening. It wasn’t just about wickets; it was about presence, pressure, and playing the mental game, something Starc continues to master with every outing.
Delhi Capitals (Playing XI): Abishek Porel, Karun Nair, KL Rahul(w), Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel(c), Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar
Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), Jos Buttler(w), Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Ishant Sharma
