Mitchell Starc opts out of the remainder of IPL 2025

The resumption of the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League is slated to be a steep hill for the Delhi Capitals to climb. The suspension of IPL 2025 left DC hanging by a thread in the playoffs qualification race. Now, with a chance to still vie for a spot in the final four, the team, led by Axar Patel, will resume their campaign with the DC vs GT IPL 2025 match on May 18. However, in a significant blow to the camp, Mitchell Starc has opted out of returning for the remainder of IPL 2025. With the WTC Final between Australia and South Africa scheduled for June 11, the Australian pace spearhead has withdrawn from the IPL. With 14 wickets in 11 matches, Starc was the leading wicket-taker for DC before the suspension.

Mitch Starc has decided against returning to the IPL after the tournament's postponement: https://t.co/5p3zdSkD4E pic.twitter.com/cp6VPn7eVJ

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) May 16, 2025

At the start of the season, it wouldn't have been in the imagination of anyone that IPL 2025 would be halted for a reason that grave. A heinous terrorist attack, a retaliation by India, and an escalation by the erratic neighbour saw India and Pakistan entering a war-like standoff. The escalation reached a peak when missiles from either side took aim at significant sites. The difference was that while India eyed to destroy terror camps within Pakistan, the neighbour, albeit unsuccessfully, targeted civilian areas. 

On May 8, the PBKS vs DC IPL 2025 match took place at Dharamsala. However, shortly into the match, Pakistan launched the drone and missile attack again. With the venue being just 60 km away from the border, the match was abandoned as the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala was quickly evacuated. The next morning, on May 9, Friday, the BCCI announced that IPL 2025 would be suspended for a week.

With national security threatened, some of the foreign players in participation left for their respective homes on Friday itself. Others followed on Saturday. While at the time of the suspension it seemed impossible for IPL 2025 to resume within just a week, the India-Pakistan conflict reached a ceasefire on Saturday itself. Soon after, the BCCI directed the franchises to assemble their squads by May 13 and direct the foreign players to return. Meanwhile, the resumption was slated for May 17, with the revised IPL 2025 schedule revealing that the season had been extended to June 3.

Mitchell Starc drops out of the Delhi Capitals camp for IPL 2025 resumption

While just a little over a week's suspension, the revised IPL 2025 schedule has posed a dilemma for the foreign players. Originally, the season was slated to end on May 25 with the final scheduled at the Eden Gardens. However, the revision led to IPL 2025 slipping into June, nearly hampering the preparations of Australia and South Africa for June 11. Cricket Australia, meanwhile, announced that the board would back its players in whatever decision they take for IPL 2025, whether to return or not.

Now, while the likes of Pat Cummins, Travis Head, and Josh Hazlewood are likely to return, Mitchell Starc has dropped out. On Friday, Cricket Australia confirmed that the Australian pace spearhead would not return to India for the remainder of IPL 2025. Before the suspension, Mitchell Starc led the Delhi Capitals’ pace lineup. A match-winner through and through, Starc emerged as the top wicket-taker for DC with 14 scalps across 11 league-stage matches. Starc's impact for DC included winning the DC vs RR IPL 2025 match in the super over.

With the PBKS vs DC match slated for a replay, Delhi Capitals is currently placed fifth on the IPL 2025 points table with 13 points. The team, led by Axar Patel, still has a slim chance of making it into the playoffs. However, Starc has delivered a massive blow to the camp with his decision to opt out of the business end of the season. Before the playoffs, DC has 3 league-stage matches left to play, each a high-stakes encounter against higher-ranked teams on the points table.

To fend off the likes of in-form MI, PBKS, and GT, the Capitals would have surely banked on Starc. However, with focus on the WTC Final, scheduled from June 11 to 15, Starc has left IPL 2025 behind. Moreover, opening batter Jake Fraser-McGurk has also opted out of the remainder of the season, extending the list of players from Delhi Capitals not returning for the revised schedule.