Star Australian pacer Mitchell Starc is scheduled to miss three more IPL 2026 matches, with his availability only possible for the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 21. This could be a devastating blow to Delhi Capitals’ hopes of winning their first IPL title. Back in Australia, Starc is taking care of elbow and shoulder issues. It is anticipated that he would not join the Delhi Capitals until April 20, according to a report in The Times of India.
Consequently, he will miss DC’s next three games: on April 8 against the Gujarat Titans, on Saturday, April 11 against the Chennai Super Kings, and on Saturday, April 18 against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Despite the lack of a clear recovery and return timeline, the Delhi Capitals management is still optimistic that Starc would be available later in the season. But in his absence, the Axar Patel-led franchise has gotten off to a great start, defeating the Mumbai Indians and the Lucknow Super Giants in its first two games thanks to outstanding bowling performances.
Lungi Ngidi and T Natarajan have demonstrated outstanding control during the challenging overs, while Mukesh Kumar has been sharp with the new ball. The spin combination of Vipraj Nigam, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar has tightened the grip on the opposition batsmen in the middle phase.
With Starc maintaining constant communication with the Capitals’ management, his eventual comeback is anticipated to bolster an already strong bowling attack. In a social media post last month, he discussed his injury, outlining the issue and criticizing what he called “misinformed perceptions of players.”
“Despite the opinions and views of certain individuals with their platforms in and through the Indian media, I am currently rehabbing and managing an injury in my shoulder and elbow, the extent of which I did not know during the Australian summer,” Starc said.
