Bad news for DC! Mitchell Starc INJURED ahead of IPL 2026; Know here

Mitchell Starc is yet to join Delhi Capitals camp for IPL 2026

Delhi Capitals (DC) are still hunting for their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title, and enter this new season after the conclusion of a successful mini-auction. They started brilliantly last year, winning several matches consecutively and seemed to be a sure-shot qualifier.

However, an incredible comeback win by Mumbai Indians (MI) against DC turned around the fortunes of both teams, with DC eventually narrowly missing from the top-four. This year again they enter with renewed hopes, and arguably the best bowling lineup.

On the batting front, they have KL Rahul at the top who will be looking to make a statement and reassert his dominance in the shortest format. Retained player Abhishek Porel will be hoping for a better impression, while overseas players like Pathum Nissanka and David Miller will look to stabilise the batting.

Tristan Stubbs and Ashutosh Sharma make their batting even stronger. However the spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and captain Axar Patel, in addition to their pace battery is what makes DC stand out. However, with just a few hours away from the start of the IPL, the DC have suffered another huge injury blow.

Mitchell Starc set to miss start of IPL 2026 due to injury

Australian left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc was earlier reportedly set to arrive late for the IPL 2026 due to workload management. However, his wife and former Australian captain Alyssa Healy has provided a huge update regarding Starc’s availability.

When a fan on Instagram wrote that it will be unfair for DC that Starc won’t be available while Cummins and Hazlewood are already in India, Healy immediately fact checked the fan, stating that Starc is injured and cannot bowl currently.

The reports which previously suggested about Starc’s delayed return stated that the pacer was being monitored by Cricket Australia, keeping in mind the important Test series lined up post IPL, including a trip to South Africa and later India. It remains to be seen if Starc returns for the end of the IPL 2026 season.

While this is a big blow for DC, they still have capable replacements in their bowling arsenal. The void can be filled by T. Natarajan and Lungi Ngidi will now start in the playing XI. The Proteas bowler had a sensational T20 World Cup 2026, picking 12 wickets across the group and Super 8 stages.

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